Mind Alive Inc. - The Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.®)

The Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.®)
If you are interested in ADD/ADHD then you should be interested in T.O.V.A.®

The T.O.V.A.® is...
The Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.®), a 21.6 minute computerized continuous performance test (CPT) used by professionals in the diagnosis and monitoring of treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADD)/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. The standardized test is well normed and extremely helpful in predicting responsiveness to treatment modality.

Ages: 4 - 80+
Test Duration : 21.6 minutes with a 3 minute Practice Test
Scores/Interpretation: Raw Scores, Standard Scores, Standard Deviations.
Author: Lawrence M. Greenberg, MD

The visual and auditory version is a combined version which offers both tests in one package at an attractive price!

An in-depth interpretive report can be generated immediately following an administration for viewing or printing.

Full clinical and technical support is available.

The TOVA is compatible for most IBM or compatible PCs and most MACs.

System Requirements for IBM or compatible PC:

286 processor or better
MS-DOS 3.3 & up (5.0 & up preferred)
560K free RAM
Disk drive (3.5 or 5.25)
Hard drive (500K or .5 MB free)
VGA or EGA moinitor/graphics
Parallel (printer) port

T.O.V.A. is not a Windows program. It is a DOS based application and needs to be run under DOS. T.O.V.A. will work with operating systems Windows 3.X, 95 & 98. Due to two issues with T.O.V.A. and newer operating systems - timing and file access - T.O.V.A. will not work under Windows NT or Windows 2000 or any operating system with NTFS file systems.

It's easy to use...
The computerized tests ask the subjects to press a specially designed Microswitch/scorebox with a +/- 1 millisecond variance whenever the appropriate "target" or stimulus appears on the screen. The "target" is when a little square appears in the upper portion of another square and the "non-target" is when the little square is in the bottom portion of the bigger square. So, every 2 seconds a stimuli will flash on the screen and the subject then responds to the "targets" and not to the "non-targets". Errors of omission (inattention), errors of commission (impulsivity), response times, variability of response times, post-commission response time, anticipatory, and multiple responses are all recorded for each 5 minute quarter and 10 minute halves, as well as overall total scores for each variable. Scores are then compared to standardized norms and an interpretation of the data is reported in a printable report (up to 8 pages).

Measuring the subject's response time and variability accurately is crucial for any continuous performance test. The T.O.V.A. test was specifically developed to minimize timing errors associated with measuring these variables. For example, the T.O.V.A. uses the only commercially available CPT standard input device, the T.O.V.A. Microswitch which reduce timing errors, such as those encountered when running the test on different computer platforms with different I/O devices.

Other CPTs available are not as optimized. None use a standard input device; instead, they utilize any available mouse and keyboard inputs. While the inherent inconsistency of a mouse or keyboard is of little importance in word processing, it is very important when trying to precisely measure response time and variability, the two CPT factors with the highest correlation to diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment. Compounding this error, other CPTs may not have the software optimization necessary to maintain their accuracy across computer platforms.

To study these differences, an external, CPT independent timing tester was used to compare the T.O.V.A. and the Conners' CPT. The study concluded that the T.O.V.A. data has a timing accuracy of +/- 1 millisecond (msec), while the Conners' CPT has a timing accuracy of +/- 28 msec when used with a mouse, and +/-28 msec when used with a keyboard. (See Table 1.)

Table 1 Standard Deviation of Response Time (msec)
I/O Device	Exact Response Time	Measured Response Time	Standard Deviation
T.O.V.A.® Microswitch	300.0	301	+/-1
Conner's Mouse	300.0	351	+/-28
Keyboard	300.0	353	+/-28

This magnitude of error on the Conners' CPT will result in missed diagnoses as well as invalid measures of medication responses. In fact, the inaccuracy of the Conners' CPT using either a mouse or keyboard will actually invalidate norms, assuming that the CPT has an adequate norm base. For example, the use of the Conners' CPT with a mouse will wipe out many of the important year by year developmental differences as seen in the T.O.V.A. norming base. As an example, a +/-58 msec error will eliminate the expected differences among 8, 9, 10, and 11 year olds! (See table 2.).

Table 2 T.O.V.A. Response Time Norms
Age	6	7	8	9	10	11
Mean	604	559	487	459	402	379
Standard Deviation	+/-120	+/-108	+/-86	+/-81	+/-58	+/-66

Discriminant analysis of T.O.V.A. (R) and ten-item Conners Parent-Teacher Questionnaire of hyperactive children with ADD and matched (age, sex) normals correctly classified 87% of normal and 90% of the ADHD subjects with 13% false positives and 10% false negatives. A similar study of children without hyperactivity correctly classified 83% of normals and 97% of children with ADD.

Mind Alive Inc. endorses TOVA but does not sell it. For further information about the TOVA and to place an order you may email Universal Attention Disorders Inc.

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