Efficacy of a Continuous Performance Test Based on Virtual Reality in the Diagnosis of ADHD and Its Clinical Presentations

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the diagnostic effectiveness of the AULA Nesplora test to discriminate the different ADHD presentations: impulsive/hyperactive (I/H), inattentive, and combined.

Method: A total of 117 students (76.9% male and 23.1% female) between 5 and 16 years of age ( M = 11.18 years, SD = 3.10 years) participated, and were divided into three groups with ADHD according to their presentation, and a control group.

Results: Each of the test conditions allowed the discrimination between the I/H and combined presentations with respect to the control group, and between the I/H and inattentive presentations. However, differences among ADHD presentations were only evident when the results were separately analyzed for the visual and auditory modalities.

Conclusion: This study showed that the indicators offered by the AULA Nesplora test (omissions, commissions, response times, and motor activity) make it possible to establish a differential diagnosis of ADHD presentations when analyzed under different contextual conditions.

Keywords: ADHD; ADHD presentations; AULA Nesplora test; diagnosis; virtual reality.