The relation between a paper-pencil test of sustained attention d2-letter c
ancellation test, d2-LCT) and the contingent negative variation (CNV) as a
cortical slow potential was calculated in 23 healthy undergraduate students
. Both d2-LCT and CNV reflect selective, focussed attention. There was a Pe
arson correlation coefficient of r = -0.670 between the early component of
the CNV and the number of checked letters in d2-LCT, indicating significant
differences in early CNV between low and high performance in d2-LCT. The r
esults showed a linear relationship between paper-pencil registered attenti
onal properties and the cortically recorded early component of CNV.