Comparison of the continuous performance test with and without working memory demands in healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia
Abstract
The Penn Continuous Performance Test (PCPT), a measure of sustained visual attention developed for use in functional neuroimaging studies, was compared with a standard CPT developed by Gordon Diagnostic Systems (GDS; Vigilance subtest). The PCPT and the GDS CPT were administered with a standard neuropsychological battery to 68 healthy adults to assess reliability and construct validity. The test had adequate internal consistency, and convergent validity was established through significant correlations between measures of efficiency on the PCPT and the GDS CPT. With the exception of a significant correlation between efficiency measures on the GDS CPT and a measure of auditory sustained attention, neither version of the CPT correlated significantly with other measures in the battery. Factor analysis showed that the PCPT loaded with the GDS CPT. In 39 patients with schizophrenia and 39 matched, healthy controls, equivalent impairment was evident on the two CPT tasks. Neither version correlated significantly with symptom measurements. These results support previous conclusions that sustained visual attention in schizophrenia is a core information processing deficit, not directly related to symptomatology.
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Cognitive performance was assessed using the CPT, LNB, and NYU Paragraph Recall Task.
“Cognitive performance on the CPT [22] (sustained attention), LNB [23] (attention and working memory), and NYU Paragraph Recall Task [24] (verbal learning and verbal memory) were used to examine LDX’s impact on specific executive function domains.”
From Treating new-onset cognitive complaints after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: A randomized controlled crossover trial of lisdexamfetamine (2024) · cites this paper as [22]
The neurocognitive tasks were validated computerized measures of working memory, sustained attention, and executive function.
“using validated computerized tasks: the Letter-N-back task of working memory (28), the Penn Continuous Performance Task (P-CPT) of sustained attention (29), and the Conditional Exclusion Test (CET) of abstraction in executive function (30, 31).”
From Varenicline improves mood and cognition during smoking abstinence (2009) · cites this paper as [29]
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- Authors
- Kurtz, M. M., Ragland, J. D., Bilker, W., Gur, R. C., & Gur, R. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kurtz, Matthew M
- Venue
- Schizophrenia Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2001-03
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 2-3
- Pages
- 307-316
- ISSN
- 0920-9964 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2069616794
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 2.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Schizophrenia Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Pennsylvania
- National Institutes of Health (1k05mh001336-01)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH19112, MH 43880, MH01336, T32MH019112)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- continuous performance test
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Female, Humans, Male, Memory Disorders, Neuropsychological Tests, Schizophrenia, Severity of Illness Index, Visual Perception, Reproducibility of Results
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