Continuous performance tests: a comparison of modalities

Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) are popular instruments for the assessment of sustained attention and impulsivity in individuals thought to have attentional deficits. CPTs used in research and clinical practice rely on visual presentations of stimulus material with little consideration given to the effects on CPT performance when stimuli are presented in an auditory mode. This study examined CPT performance in normal adult subjects. The mode of presentation (visual or auditory) and the type of task (vigilance or distractibility) were varied and their effects on performance measured. Data were collected on 82 subjects; results indicated that auditory presentation of stimuli increased the difficulty of both tasks. Results also showed that distractibility tasks were more difficult than vigilance tasks.