Variable attention test or distraction is a generic name for computerized tests, examining the attention system and functions of sustained attention, to diagnose Attention Deficit Disorders and Concentration with or without Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Attention deficit disorder is present in about 3-5% of school children. This condition is usually transient and appears only in childhood, but sometimes it continues into adulthood, and may cause difficulties in learning, at work and at home if not diagnosed and treated.
The Attention Deficit Test is a series of tests designed to test three main elements: attentionlessness, impulsivity and perseverance in people suspected of attention deficit disorder. These are tests to compare with the normal level acceptable for the same age group. It is intended to be used as an aid to the physician to diagnose this disorder, and not to be used alone in diagnosis.
Category at risk
The attention test should be conducted in the morning hours, so that the test coincides with the period of activity of the child at school, and can accurately reflect the normal state of the school / within the frame.
In addition, it is recommended to perform the test after good sleep and without any other factor that can adversely affect such as disease, fever, stress, and other exciting event.
Related diseases
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
When to test
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed when symptoms indicate that the person is suffering from attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity or a combination of both, and we want accurate diagnosis and classification of the disorder for treatment.
There are several characteristics that refer to children / adults who may suffer from one of these disorders: difficulty concentrating during continuous activity, ease of distraction, tendency to distraction, nervousness, impulsivity, insomnia, lack of order and organization, tendency to delay and lack of attention to time, In task termination and others.
Often the person sending the person for the diagnosis is a competent authority such as a school teacher, a parent, etc.
Method of conducting the examination
The test of attention dispersion is actually a series of computerized tests that involve repeating the effectiveness considered dull, for a certain period of time. The person undergoing the test receives instructions regarding the test and its functioning.
Immediately before the start of the test, the person exercises for about 3 minutes of activity during the test. After training and learning how to work, the test begins, and with it the measurement begins.
During the 20-minute period, the examined person usually works in a room devoid of any stimuli and without the presence of his or her parents (in case of testing for a child), so as not to distract him.
The examined person sits in front of the computer, where a white box appears in the middle of the screen, and alternately a black box flashes at the top or bottom of the white box. The person is asked to press the button each time the black box appears at the top.
After the first test is completed, the person taking the medicine (used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder) is treated with a dose prescribed by a specialist, depending on the weight of the body.
The person being examined is required to wait for an hour and a half (during which he can eat, walk, but avoid using stimulant substances). After the waiting period, the test of distraction starts again for an additional 20 minutes.
How to prepare for the test
There is no need for special preparation for the test.
After the test
There is no special instructions. The test itself does not cause discomfort. The medication given may cause side effects, such as: loss of appetite, headache, cramps or abdominal pain.
Analysis of the results
After the end of the attention test, the results of all the tests are analyzed separately by the computer, for comparison between them is of great importance.
The results of each of the tests appear in the table, which shows the following four factors:
Observation - The examined did not press the button when the stimulus appeared - a measure of attention.
Random pressure - examined pressure without the emergence of the catalyst - a measure of impulse.
Reaction time - The amount of time a patient needs from the beginning of the stimulus to the pressure of the button - a measure of concentration.
Stability of reaction time - Stability in the way a person is treated with the stimulus - A measure of effort.
For each of these factors, the scale gives three levels of diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder and Concentration, showing in the table the results obtained for the person being examined, compared to the normal general distribution expected of his or her age group.
Results are given in two ways:
According to standard levels (between -2 and -2 +), where 0 is the distribution center and represents the normal state.
According to figures (between 85 and 115). As the 100-centimeter forms the center of the scale and represents the normal state.
The results give further evidence of attention deficit disorder. The results of diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder and a lower concentration of naturalness generally represent an indicator of attention deficit disorder.
The comparison of the test of attention dispersion before and after taking the drug is an indication of the efficacy of the pharmacological treatment.
