IS THE CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE TASK A VALUABLE RESEARCH TOOL FOR USE WITH CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT-HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

The Continuous Performance Task (CPT) has become a popular research to ol used to distinguish children with Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity D isorder (ADHD) from their normal peers. Whether hyperactive children h ave a vigilance decrement remains an ongoing controversy. The theoreti cal basis of the CPT and variables known to influence performance are examined in order to interpret the inconsistencies evident in the rese arch. Studies which employed the CPT in order to examine the possibili ty of sustained attention deficits in children with ADHD will be revie wed. The results are examined in light of group selection criteria, ta sk variables and situational and external variables. It is concluded t hat there is no compelling evidence for a sustained deficit in ADHD ch ildren. An alternative theoretical model for understanding the results of CPT performance in ADHD children is provided.