CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE-TEST RESULTS OF ADULTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is well estab lished as a diagnosis in childhood, the diagnosis in adults remains co ntroversial. The present study compared the Continuous Performance Tes t (CPT) performance of 60 clinic-referred adults with current ADHD sym ptomatology to normal subjects. Adults with current ADHD symptoms were found to make more errors of omission and commission than did normal adults. The signal detection theory variable, d', indicated that patie nts with ADHD were less sensitive to stimulus features than were norma ls. Using several CPT measures to predict group status, the CPT appear ed to be of moderate clinical utility. These CPT results lend converge nt validity to similar results in child populations and help to establ ish ADHD as a valid disorder of adulthood.