Cerebral Correlates of the Continous Performance Test-identical Pairs Version - An fMRI Study

One of the most used paradigms in the study of the attention is the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). The Identical Pairs version of the CPT (CPT-IP) has been used to evaluate attention deficits in developmental, neurological and psychiatric disorders. Since both dyscalculia and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) show attentional and numerical processing deficits, it would be interesting to evaluate functional brain patterns related to the CPT-IP in a task which uses numerical stimuli. In this sense, the aim of our study was to design a task to evaluate sustained attention using functional magnetic resonance imaging. This task has to be sensitive to evaluate later dyscalculic and ADHD subjects. Forty right-handed, healthy subjects (20 women; age range 18–25) were recruited to participate in the study. A CPT-IP implemented as a block design was used to assess sustained attention in the fMRI session. Results showed the CPT-IP task used activates a network of frontal, parietal and occipital areas and could be related to executive, attentional and numerical processing functions.

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