How does the predictive capacity of a virtual-reality CPT for children with ADHD differ by country? A transcultural study with Argentine and Spanish Children

Abstract

Background

Although many studies have analyzed the effectiveness of novel Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) in diagnosing ADHD, very few studies have examined how cultural factors influence that effectiveness.

Aims

The present study aimed to analyze performance in a Virtual-Reality CPT in a sample of children resident in Spain and Argentina.

Methods and procedures

138 students participated in this study. They were aged between 6 and 16 years old, with a mean age of 10.38 (SD = 2.46) and had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Outcomes and results

Commissions was the only significant variable in both discriminant models. In the Spanish population, the commissions variable was shown to correctly classify 49.4 % of the three types of ADHD presentation. However, in the Argentine population, the commissions variable correctly classified 68.3 %.

Conclusions and implications

These results may have been biased by the severity of the different types of presentation. In fact, it seems reasonable to think that the greater the severity, the better Aula Nesplora would predict the three types of presentation of ADHD. These results emphasize the need to consider other variables with a notable impact on daily life as children develop.