continuous performance task

Useful set of tests to assess sustained attention or vigilance. These test involve use of computerized stimuli & timed, standardizd scoring. The subject attends to a series of visual stimuli, such as letters, occurring over a specific interval & responds whenever a target letter appears, or when it appears in a sequence (e.g. 'B' only when followed by 'A'. Normal adults correctly identify over 80% of targets

References

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, Osterweil et al eds, McGraw Hill, New York, 2000, pg 101-102