Relationships between Parent Ratings of ADHD Behaviours and the Virtual Reality Attention Tracker in School-Age Children (Preprint)

Abstract

A wide range of tools, including behavioral rating scales and specific objective tests, are used in the evaluation of ADHD. The Virtual Reality Attention Tracker (VRAT) is a cutting-edge continuous performance exam that was cleverly developed within a virtual setting that closely resembles a typical classroom environment.

This study examined the relationships between parental ratings of ADHD symptoms and the VRAT performance.

418 participants had an evaluation using the Swanson Nolan and Pelham, Version IV Scale-Parent Scales (SNAP-IV), the Conners' Parent Rating Scale Revised in Chinese (CPRS-48), and the VRAT test. Correlations between attention-related variables were analyzed. Gender and age discrepancies were explored, and the discriminative capacities of the different measures were evaluated via Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

VRAT variables showed significant correlations with the SNAP-IV and CPRS-48 subscales, despite small coefficients. Gender and age differences in subjective and objective ADHD assessments were noted in this study.

VRAT results showed correlates with commonly used clinical metrics. Further studies must be conducted to confirm the validity and neuropsychiatric qualities of tests and treatment therapies based in virtual reality.