Distractibility in Attention/Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Virtual Reality Classroom

Abstract

Nineteen boys aged 8 to 14 with a diagnosis of ADHD and 16 age-matched controls were compared in a virtual reality (VR) classroom version of a continuous performance task (CPT), with a second standard CPT presentation using the same projection display dome system. The Virtual Classroom included simulated "real-world" auditory and visual distracters. Parent ratings of attention, hyperactivity, internalizing problems, and adaptive skills on the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Monitor for ADHD confirmed that the ADHD children had more problems in these areas than controls. The difference between the ADHD group (who performed worse) and the control group approached significance (p = .05; adjusted p = .02) in the Virtual Classroom presentation, and the classification rate of the Virtual Classroom was better than when the standard CPT was used (87.5% versus 68.8%). Children with ADHD were more affected by distractions in the VR classroom than those without ADHD. Results are discussed in relation to distractibility in ADHD.

The Influence of Methylphenidate on Hyperactivity and Attention Deficits in Children With ADHD: A Virtual Classroom Test

“…Finally, VRC measures were correlated both with performance in the traditional CPT and ADHD symptom questionnaires. These results were partially confirmed in a study by Adams, Finn, Moes, Flannery, and Rizzo (2009), as unmedicated children performed slightly worse in the VRC-CPT and were more impaired by distracters than age-matched healthy controls. Another virtual classroom test is the AULA (Spanish for "Classroom") test (Iriarte et al, 2016) that comprises visual and auditory No-X and X tasks (with and without distracters) and two measures of motor activity.…”

Development and initial assessment of a new paradigm for assessing cognitive and motor inhibition: The bimodal virtual-reality Stroop

“…With virtual reality (VR), it is relatively simple to assess external interference with introduction of surrounding distracters within the environment. External distracters (auditory and/or visual elements) render the task environment more sensitive and more ecologically valid than traditional settings (Adams et al, 2009;Nolin et al, 2009). Moreover, distracters provoke head movements, allowing a better detection of subtle deficits among clinical populations (Nolin et al, 2009(Nolin et al, , 2012.…”

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…However, very few studies have directly examined how adults with ADHD respond to distractions in an experimental setting. Those that have investigated this issue have demonstrated that distractions such as external noise, movement, or parallel activities interfere with working memory tasks in all individuals, but this interference may be more pronounced for both adults and children with ADHD given their limited attentional resources (Adams, Finn, Moes, Flannery, & Rizzo, 2009;Berti & Schröger, 2003;Corbett & Stanczak, 1999;Higginbotham & Bartling, 1993;Kercood & Grskovic, 2010;Söderlund, Sikström, & Smart, 2007). However, no research to date has examined the effects of different types of distractions (visual versus auditory) on specific types of working memory in young adults with ADHD.…”