{"id":210,"date":"2016-10-07T12:23:05","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T12:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/?page_id=210"},"modified":"2021-02-27T10:55:36","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T10:55:36","slug":"about-the-math-cpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/about-the-math-cpt\/","title":{"rendered":"About the MATH-CPT"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>About the MATH-CPT<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Mathematics Continuous Performance Test (MATH-CPT) is a new measure designed differently from other CPT-type tests. Thus far, the developer has found no other CPT-type tests that use mathematical problems as stimuli. There are four major differences between this new test and other CPT-type tests: 1) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the stimuli shown require<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more complex cognitive processing of calculations, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">therefore, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">responding requires more time. The intention of this change was to resolve the floor effects found in many CPT tests that use simple stimuli (Halperin, Sharma, Greenblatt, &amp; Schwartz, 1991; Greenberg et al., 1999; Pei-Chun et al., 2005). On other tests, one unintentional mistake may lead to an erroneous ADHD diagnosis. 2) No time limit is set for answering each question in the MATH-CPT to allow <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> better assessment of the pace of each individual tested. 3) Analyses of the results are divided into three parts of 150 problems<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (in the adolescents\/adults version), or 90 problems (in the children\/adolescents version)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Each of these parts is then divided into three more parts of 50 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(in the adolescents\/adults version), or 30 problems (in the children\/adolescents version), <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for a total of nine parts per test<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This procedure allows better analysis of possible difficulties in sustained attention. 4) Sustained attention is reported as one number for the following four measures: total time, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> standard deviation of reaction time, total impulsive responses (a combination of the impulsive-guessing answers and the fast-wrong responses)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> number of correct responses. A formula was developed to report worsening or improvement in the performance of the individual tested on the nine different parts of the test.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other CPT-type tests, the stimuli appear on the screen for approximately 200 to 500 milliseconds. After that, an interstimulus interval is given, usually between 1 to 4 seconds, followed by the response of the individual tested. This method forces the examinee to respond within the designated inter-stimulus interval. In the MATH-CPT, the stimulus changes to the next stimulus only after the examinee responds to the stimulus appearing on the screen. The change to this self-paced procedure in the MATH-CPT is intended to encourage the examinee\u2019s natural tendency to answer either quickly or slowly, as opposed to forcing the examinee to respond quickly, as in other CPT-type tests. In 2001, Milich, Ballentine, and Lynam introduced the term Slow Cognitive Tempo, which describes a behavioral pattern appearing in some children with ADHD and characterized by passivity and daydreaming or by hypo-activity, confusion, moving slowly<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and sluggish responses. A self-paced procedure, as used in the MATH-CPT, aims at assessing Slow Cognitive Tempo more accurately.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the MATH-CPT<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">asolescents and adults version<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> there are 450 simple arithmetical problems of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division whose answer is not larger than 9. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the children and adolescents, there are 270<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">simple arithmetical problems of addition and subtraction, whose answer is not larger than 9.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the MATH-CPT, the stimulus of a mathematical problem is shown on the computer screen with an answer that is either correct or incorrect (i.e., 1 + 3 = 4 or 7 \u2013 5 = 3). The program uses white numbers positioned on an approximately 1.0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">centimeter square matrix against a black background.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The test includes the following main measures: final overall attention level formula to assess the participant\u2019s overall attention level; reaction time (time taken to complete the test); <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> standard deviation of reaction time (a measure of reaction time variability); correct answers-considered a measure of attention; impulsive responses (measured by a fast guessing response of less th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n 0.5 seconds and by incorrect responses that are faster than <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> participant\u2019s average mean reaction time to all the problems). The results are then presented in three performance blocks from the beginning to the end of the test, with 150 arithmetical problems in each block of problems <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(or 90 problems in the children\/adolescents version)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This method allows assessment of sustained attention by subjective observation of the responses to check for a decline, an improvement or no change in individual measures as the examinee progresses through the performance blocks. The results are also presented in nine performance blocks from the beginning to the end of the test, with 50 mathematical problems in each block <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(or 30 problems in the children\/adolescents version)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> . This method allows for a more refined assessment of sustained attention through subjective observation of the responses to check for decline, improvement<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or no change in individual measures as the examinee progresses through the nine performance blocks test. This procedure is common in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a few<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> other CPT-type tests (Halperin, et al., 1991; Conners, 2000).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To improve <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> assessment of sustained attention, we constructed a unique formula to report this variable. The following measures assessed sustained attention by means of a single number: sustained-time (a measure of sustained attention of reaction time over nine parts of the test); sustained-SD (sustained attention of reaction time SD over nine parts of the test); sustained-correct responses (sustained attention of correct responses over nine parts of the test); and sustained impulsivity (a measure of sustained attention of impulsivity over nine parts of the test). These four measures of sustained attention assess a possible decline in performance on these measures in their respective areas and are based on an algorithm designed specifically to assess these domains. The algorithm for assessing sustained attention is based on a calculation of the nine blocks. From the first to the ninth block in ascending order, each block contributes more to the measure of sustained attention than its predecessor does. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> result is a single number assessing sustained attention on the four measures mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eight research papers were published so far using the MATH-CPT as the research instrument:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D., &amp; Fichman, N. (2012). The Development and Use of a Computerized Test, MATH-CPT, to Assess Attention. Perceptual and Motor Skills,114, 59-74.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D. (2011). Validation the Mathematics Continuous Performance Test (MATH-CPT), Circles of the Mind (in Hebrew) 6, 61-71.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D., Tzchishinky, O., &amp; Hadar, S. (2011). Delaying school starting times by one hour: effects on attention level in adolescents. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 7, 138-143.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D. (2013). The Relation between Sleep Patterns and Attention Levels. Neurocase, 20, 591-598.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D., Bassin-Savion, S., &amp; Rubel, L. (2015). The Effect of Methylphenidate on Sustained Attention. Neurocase, 6, 802-808.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D., Segev, S., Blum, A. Rosen, T., &amp; Haimov, I. (2015). The Effect of Age on Attention Level: A Comparison of Two Age Groups. In print at the International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 81,176-188.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D. &amp; Pan, S. (2015). Comparing the Mathematics Continuous Performance Test with other Measures of Tests of Attention. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 32, 291-297.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lufi, D., Yun-Kwok Wing &amp; Ngan-Yin, C. (2017). Cross-Cultural Assessment of Attention Level of Chinese and Israeli Adolescents. Journal of Behavioral Health, 6, 52-57.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">References<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conners, C. K. (2000) Conners\u2019 Continuous Performance Test II, technical guide and software manual. North Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems Inc.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greenberg, L. M., Kindschi, C. L., &amp; Corman, C. M. (1999). T.O.V.A. Test of Variables of Attention, clinical guide. Katelal: Universal Attention Disorders, Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About the MATH-CPT The Mathematics Continuous Performance Test (MATH-CPT) is a new measure designed differently from other CPT-type tests. Thus far, the developer has found no other CPT-type tests that use mathematical problems as stimuli. There are four major differences between this new test and other CPT-type tests: 1) the stimuli shown requires more complex&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"disable","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4853,"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210\/revisions\/4853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.math-cpt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}