Sensitivity of four subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) to stimulant medication in children with ADHD
Sutcliffe PA., Bishop DVM., Houghton S.
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined on four subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEACh) when on and off stimulant medication. Performance was assessed relative to 18 individually agematched controls. Children with ADHD performed significantly worse on TEACh measures when off compared to when on stimulant medication. This was found in both predominantly inattentive ( n = 6) and combined inattentive and hyperactiveimpulsive ( n = 12) subtypes. The agematched controls significantly improved with repeated testing on most TEACh measures. Significant differences were found between the unmedicated children with ADHD and agematched controls on sustained attention (Score! and Walk Dont Walk) and attention control measures (Same and Opposite Worlds). When the ADHD group was on stimulant medication, with the exception of the Walk Dont Walk subtest, no significant differences were found between them and the agematched controls. Unlike the TEACh subtests, the significant differences between the two groups on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) subtests remained when attentional status was altered in the children with ADHD. The study supports further investigations of the TEACh as a measure sensitive to changes in stimulant medication in children with ADHD.