Test of Variables of Attention

The Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.) is a neuropsychological assessment that measures a person's attention while screening for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Generally, the test is 21.6 minutes long and is presented as a simple, yet boring, computer game. The test is used to measure a number of variables involving the test taker's response to either a visual or auditory stimulus. These measurements are then compared to the measurements of a group of people without attention disorders who took the T.O.V.A. This test should be used along with a battery of neuropsychological tests, such as a detailed history, subjective questionnaires, interviews, and symptom checklists before a diagnosis should be concluded.

The T.O.V.A. has been shown to accurately identify 87% of individuals without ADHD, 84% of non-hyperactive ADHD, and 90% of the hyperactive ADHD, but should never be used solely as a diagnostic tool for those testing for attention deficit disorders or with a traumatic brain injury. However, The TOVA generates high false positive rates (30%) in normal controls and children with other psychiatric disorders (28%).

The original T.O.V.A. adult normative sample (1993) consisted of 250 subjects, age 20 and older and has not been updated to reflect current population characteristics. The sample consisted primarily of persons of Caucasian ethnicity (99%, 1% other), and consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in three Minnesota liberal arts colleges and persons residing in nearby communities. Subjects were excluded from the study based upon current use of psychoactive medication, history of CNS disorder, or history of CNS injury.