A Comparison of Virtual Reality Classroom Continuous Performance Tests to Traditional Continuous Performance Tests in Delineating ADHD: a Meta-Analysis

Computerized continuous performance tests (CPTs) are commonly used to characterize attention in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Virtual classroom CPTs, designed to enhance ecological validity, are increasingly being utilized. Lacking is a quantitative meta-analysis of clinical compa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuropsychology review 2019-09, Vol.29 (3), p.338-356
Main Authors: Parsons, Thomas D., Duffield, Tyler, Asbee, Justin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Children
Computer applications
Meta-analysis
Neurology
Neuropsychology
Neurosciences
Online instruction
Review
Systematic review
Virtual reality
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Computerized continuous performance tests (CPTs) are commonly used to characterize attention in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Virtual classroom CPTs, designed to enhance ecological validity, are increasingly being utilized. Lacking is a quantitative meta-analysis of clinical comparisons of attention performance in children with ADHD using virtual classroom CPTs. The objective of the present systematic PRISMA review was to address this empirical void and compare three-dimensional (3D) virtual classroom CPTs to traditional two-dimensional (2D) CPTs. The peer-reviewed literature on comparisons of virtual classroom performance between children with ADHD and typically developing children was explored in six databases (e.g., Medline). Published studies using a virtual classroom to compare attentional performance between children with ADHD and typically developing children were included. Given the high heterogeneity with modality comparisons (i.e., computerized CPTs vs. virtual classroom CPTs for ADHD), both main comparisons included only population comparisons (i.e., control vs. ADHD) using each CPT modality. Meta-analytic findings were generally consistent with previous meta-analyses of computerized CPTs regarding the commonly used omission, commission, and hit reaction time variables. Results suggest that the virtual classroom CPTs reliably differentiate attention performance in persons with ADHD. Ecological validity implications are discussed pertaining to subtle meta-analytic outcome differences compared to computerized 2D CPTs. Further, due to an inability to conduct moderator analyses, it remains unclear if modality differences are due to other factors. Suggestions for future research using the virtual classroom CPTs are provided.
ISSN:1040-7308
1573-6660
DOI:10.1007/s11065-019-09407-6