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The clinical utility of the continuous performance test and objective measures of activity for diagnosing and monitoring ADHD in children: a systematic review

Hall, Charlotte L.; Valentine, Althea; Groom, Madeleine J.; Walker, Gemma M.; Sayal, Kapil; Daley, David; Hollis, Chris

The clinical utility of the continuous performance test and objective measures of activity for diagnosing and monitoring ADHD in children: a systematic review Thumbnail


Authors

Althea Valentine

Dr MADDIE GROOM maddie.groom@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions

Gemma M. Walker

KAPIL SAYAL kapil.sayal@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

David Daley

CHRIS HOLLIS chris.hollis@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health



Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically diagnosed using clinical observation and subjective informant reports. Once children commence ADHD medication, robust monitoring is required to detect partial or non-responses. The extent to which neuropsychological continuous performance tests (CPTs) and objective measures of activity can clinically aid the assessment and titration process in ADHD is not fully understood. This review describes the current evidence base for the use of CPTs and objectively measured activity to support the diagnostic procedure and medication management for children with ADHD. Four databases (PsycINFO, Medline, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED) and PsycARTICLES) were systematically searched to understand the current evidence base for: (1) the use of CPTs to aid clinical assessment of ADHD; (2) the use of CPTs to aid medication management; (3) the clinical utility of objective measures of activity in ADHD. Sixty relevant articles were identified. The search revealed six commercially available CPTs that had been reported on for their clinical use. There were mixed findings with regard to the use of CPTs to assess and manage medication, with contrasting evidence on their ability to support clinical decision making. There was a strong evidence base for the use of objective measures of activity to aid ADHD/non-ADHD group differentiation, which appears sensitive to medication effects and would also benefit from further research on their clinical utility. The findings suggest that combining CPTs and an objective measure of activity may be particularly useful as a clinical tool and worthy of further pursuit.

Citation

Hall, C. L., Valentine, A., Groom, M. J., Walker, G. M., Sayal, K., Daley, D., & Hollis, C. (2016). The clinical utility of the continuous performance test and objective measures of activity for diagnosing and monitoring ADHD in children: a systematic review. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25(7), 677-699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0798-x

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Nov 30, 2015
Publication Date Jul 31, 2016
Deposit Date Dec 3, 2015
Publicly Available Date Dec 3, 2015
Journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Print ISSN 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN 1435-165X
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 25
Issue 7
Pages 677-699
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0798-x
Keywords Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Continuous Performance Tests (CPT), Activity, Objective Measures, Systematic Review
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/765233
Publisher URL http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-015-0798-x?wt_mc=internal.event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst
Additional Information The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0798-x