Minimum detectable change in reaction time to the Posner task due to change in sustained attention

[Purpose] Spatial attention evaluations are beneficial for patients with unilateral spatial neglect or dementia. Thus, such evaluations are crucial among these patients for determining functional disorder extents. The study aimed to determine minimal detectable changes in reaction time to the Posner task among healthy young participants for establishing spatial attention evaluation protocols. [Participants and Methods] The study recruited 10 healthy young adults (five males and five females; mean age: 28.9 ± 4.0 years). Each participant completed two sessions of the Posner task with 160 trials per session. The reaction time for each trial was measured. Data obtained by the two blocks were analyzed by Bland-Altman analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficient case 1 and minimal detectable changes at the 95% confidence interval were calculated. [Results] Bland-Altman analysis indicated no systematic bias. The intraclass correlation coefficient case 1 exceeded 0.80 under all conditions of the Posner task, whereas the minimal detectable changes at the 95% confidence interval spanned 23-34 ms. [Conclusion] The results exhibited high reliability for reaction time to the Posner task. The minimal detectable changes as the 95% confidence interval values determined in this study based on reaction time can be applied to establish spatial attention evaluation protocols.