Administering the CPT/IVA to evaluate the effects of neurofeedback in ADHD

Abstract

Continuous Performance Tests (CPT) have proven effective for monitoring the effects of treatments for ADHD, especially neurofeedback and virtual reality. The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA/CPT), which is ba¬sed on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, allows hyperactive-impulsive symptoms and inattention to be assessed at the visual and auditory level. The goal of this study is to determine whether the IVA/CPT is a useful scale to measure the therapeutic efficacy of neurofeedback. A total of 16 male and female subjects ages 7-14 with a diagnosis of ADHD who had been randomly assigned to neurofeedback treatment participated in the study. Attention and hyperactivity were the variables evaluated in the pre- and post-treatment phases. Through comparisons of means and effect size calculation, the efficacy of neurofeedback was estimated according to the children’s performance in the auditory and visual variables of the CPT/IVA. The data obtained reveal signifi¬cant improvement in self-control and symptoms of inattention following the treatment.