A proposed behavioral tool to assess sustained auditory attention.

UNLABELLED Sustained attention and vigilance are processes that characterize attention, and are essential for the development of certain abilities AIM a prospective study to propose a simple, easy and quick behavioral tool to support the assessment of sustained auditory attention. MATERIAL AND METHODS volunteer children aged between 6 and 11 years (139 female and 141 male) were selected. The test was named Sustained Auditory Attention Ability Test, and is based on the Continuous Performance Test. It consist of a binaural and diotic presentation of a list of 100 monosyllabic words in which a target monosyllable is included 20 times. This list was presented six times with no breaks. The test was carried out in a soundproofed room, using a CD player attached to a two-channel audiometer at 50 dBSL during 9 minutes. The test resulted in a total score and a vigilance decrement. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between genders, but a significant difference was found between ages. CONCLUSION The proposed test had no discomfort for the participants, and was shown to be extremely promising to assess the sustained auditory attention ability in children.