Wu Yu-Yu, Huang Yu-Shu, Chen Yu-Ying, Chen Chih-Ken, Chang Tzyh-Chyang, Chao Chia-Chen
Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2007 Jun;61(3):211-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2007.01658.x.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental disorder in children. Unfortunately, reliable means of measuring attention and impulsivity to help with diagnoses are scarce. The test of variables of attention (TOVA) is a computer-administered continuous performance test measuring attention and impulsivity, designed to avoid confounding arising from language processing skills or short-term memory problems. Some evidence has indicated the TOVA can be useful in diagnosing ADHD. This study examines its validity and reliability in helping diagnose Taiwanese ADHD children. The study included 31 ADHD children (24 males, seven females) from a northern Taiwan children's hospital and 30 normal controls (18 males, 12 females) from the local community. The TOVA and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were administered to all children. TOVA scores for omissions, commissions, response time, response time variability, D' and ADHD scores were analyzed. Results showed a mean internal consistency of 0.81 for all six TOVA variables across conditions, with moderate convergent and discriminant validities. Groups showed significant differences in response time variability, D' and ADHD scores, with the normal group outperforming the ADHD group. Significant group differences were also found in all CBCL subscale scores except somatic complaints. The ADHD group obtained a clinically significant score on the hyperactivity subscale of the CBCL. The findings partially support the usefulness of the TOVA in assessing attention and impulsivity problems for a Taiwanese sample. Future studies should increase the sample size, use multiple measures, and collect behavior ratings from both parents and teachers.
注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）是儿童中常见的一种精神障碍。不幸的是，用于辅助诊断的可靠测量注意力和冲动性的方法很少。注意力变量测试（TOVA）是一种由计算机执行的持续性操作测试，用于测量注意力和冲动性，旨在避免因语言处理技能或短期记忆问题而产生的混淆。一些证据表明TOVA在诊断ADHD方面可能有用。本研究考察了其在辅助诊断台湾ADHD儿童方面的有效性和可靠性。该研究纳入了来自台湾北部一家儿童医院的31名ADHD儿童（24名男性，7名女性）和来自当地社区的30名正常对照儿童（18名男性，12名女性）。对所有儿童进行了TOVA和儿童行为量表（CBCL）测试。分析了TOVA在遗漏、错误、反应时间、反应时间变异性、D'和ADHD分数方面的得分。结果显示，在所有条件下，TOVA的六个变量的平均内部一致性为0.81，具有中等程度的聚合效度和区分效度。两组在反应时间变异性、D'和ADHD分数上存在显著差异，正常组表现优于ADHD组。除躯体主诉外，在所有CBCL分量表分数上也发现了显著的组间差异。ADHD组在CBCL多动分量表上获得了具有临床意义的分数。研究结果部分支持了TOVA在评估台湾样本的注意力和冲动性问题方面的有用性。未来的研究应增加样本量，采用多种测量方法，并收集父母和教师的行为评定。
