title: Impact of time on task on ADHD patient's performances in a virtual classroom.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of virtual reality tool is interesting for the evaluation of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients. The virtual environment offers the opportunity to administer controlled task like the typical neuropsychological tools, but in an environment much more like standard classroom. Previous studies showed that a virtual classroom was able to distinguish performances of children with and without ADHD, but the evolution of performances over time has not been explored. The aim of this work was to study time on task effects on performances of ADHD children compared to controls in a virtual classroom (VC).
  
  
  METHODS
  36 boys aged from 7 to 10 years completed the virtual classroom task. We compared the performance of the children diagnosed with ADHD with those of the control children. We also compared attentional performances recorded in the virtual classroom with measures of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that patients differ from control subjects in term of time effect on performances. If controls sustained performances over time in the virtual reality task, ADHD patients showed a significant performance decrement over time. Performances at the VC correlated with CPT II measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ADHD children are vulnerable to a time on task effect on performances which could explain part of their difficulties. Virtual reality is a reliable method to test ADHD children ability to sustain performances over time.
authors.affiliation: Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France. stephaniebioulac@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bioulac
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lallemand
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabrigoule
authors.forename: Manuel Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bouvard
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012574:Schools; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface