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Related Experiment Videos

The Digit Vigilance Test: reliability, validity, and sensitivity to diazepam.

D Z Kelland1, R F Lewis

  • 1Center for Forensic Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA.

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology : the Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists
|January 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

The Digit Vigilance Test (DVT) reliably measures attention and psychomotor speed. The full test effectively detects drug effects like diazepam, unlike a shortened version.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Sustained attention and psychomotor speed are crucial cognitive functions.
  • The Digit Vigilance Test (DVT) is a tool to assess these functions.
  • Evaluating the reliability and sensitivity of cognitive tests is essential for research and clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the test-retest and alternate-form reliability of the Digit Vigilance Test (DVT).
  • To determine the sensitivity of the DVT to a single dose of diazepam (10 mg).
  • To compare the efficacy of a one-page DVT version versus the standard two-page format in detecting drug effects.

Main Methods:

  • Forty undergraduates participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

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  • Participants were randomly assigned to receive either diazepam (10 mg) or a placebo.
  • Testing occurred three times across two sessions, one week apart, using both one-page and two-page DVT formats.

    • Main Results:

    • Both the one-page (Page 1) and the full (Total Time) DVT scores demonstrated high reliability across time and forms.
    • The Total Time score, but not the Page 1 score, significantly differentiated between diazepam and placebo effects.
    • Convergent measures supported the DVT's validity as an indicator of sustained attention.

    Conclusions:

    • The complete Digit Vigilance Test (DVT) is reliable and sensitive to the effects of diazepam.
    • The full DVT is recommended over a shortened version for detecting pharmacological effects on sustained attention.
    • The DVT is validated as a robust measure of sustained attention and psychomotor speed.