Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CPT II V.

5)
By C. Keith Conners, Ph.D. and MHS Staff

Profile Report

This report is intended to be used by the test administrator as an interpretive aid. This report should not
be used as the sole basis for clinical diagnosis or intervention.

Copyright © 2000, 2004 Multi-Health Systems Inc. All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 950, North Tonawanda, NY 14120-0950
3770 Victoria Park Ave., Toronto, ON M2H 3M6
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 2

Introduction
The Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II (CPT II) is a valuable assessment tool that can reveal
important information about an individual’s functioning. The instrument is helpful when a diagnosis of
ADHD is being considered.

This report provides information about Jane’s CPT II scores, what scales and indexes are elevated and
how she compares to the normative group. The non-clinical sample includes 1,920 individuals from the
general population. The clinical norm groups include 378 cases with ADHD, and 223
neurologically-impaired adults. For further information refer to the CPT II Technical Guide and Software
Manual published by MHS.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 3

The following graph compares Jane's T-scores against Non-Clinical and ADHD norms.

Percentile
99

98

84

50

16

Note: Hit RT is scaled such that for

1. Inattentiveness - slow reaction times produce high T-scores.

2. Impulsivity - fast reaction times produce high T-scores.

CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 4

Confidence Index Associated with ADHD Assessment

The following graph shows Jane's Confidence Index for the clinical and non-clinical profiles.

Non-clinical, 85.81% Confidence

The CPT discriminant function indicates that the results better match a non-clinical than clinical profile.
The Confidence Index computed can be readily described in the following way: The chances are 85.81
out of 100 that no significant attention problem exists.
The Confidence Index should always be reviewed in relation to results on the remaining CPT II
measures. When the Confidence Index falls close to 50 (providing no decision), however, there is a
heightened need to examine all individual index and measure scores, and to consider the
inter-relationships between them.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 5

Summary of Overall Measures

(general population norms used)
The following table summarizes Jane's overall measures and gives general information about how she
compares to the normative group.
Measure Value T-Score Percentile Guideline
Omissions 1 42.23 21.89 good performance
% 0.31
Commissions 14 40.28 16.57 good performance
% 38.89
Hit RT 344.93 36.01 8.09 a little fast
Hit RT Std. Error 5.73 39.45 14.60 good performance
Variability 10.90 43.96 30.70 good performance
Detectability (d') 0.61 44.68 33.29 good performance
Response Style (ß) 0.23 42.64 26.25 mildly atypical
Perseverations 0 44.98 34.39 good performance
% 0.00
Hit RT Block Change -0.03 33.57 6.16 very good performance
Hit SE Block Change -0.15 26.89 1.36 very good performance
Hit RT ISI Change 0.08 49.91 53.63 within average range
Hit SE ISI Change 0.30 60.37 84.97 MILDLY ATYPICAL

Summary of Inattention Measures

(general population norms used)
The following table summarizes Jane's inattention measures and gives general information about how
she compares to the normative group.
Measure Value T-Score Percentile Guideline
Omissions 1 42.23 21.89 OK
% 0.31
Commissions 14 40.28 16.57 OK
% 38.89
Hit RT 344.93 36.01 8.09 OK
Hit RT Std. Error 5.73 39.45 14.60 OK
Variability 10.90 43.96 30.70 OK
Detectability (d') 0.61 44.68 33.29 OK
Hit RT ISI Change 0.08 49.91 53.63 OK
Hit SE ISI Change 0.30 60.37 84.97 Inattention
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 6

Summary of Impulsivity Measures

(general population norms used)
The following table summarizes Jane's impulsivity measures and gives general information about how
she compares to the normative group.
Measure Value T-Score Percentile Guideline
Commissions 14 40.28 16.57 OK
% 38.89
Hit RT 344.93 36.01 8.09 Fast
Perseverations 0 44.98 34.39 OK
% 0.00

Summary of Vigilance Measures

(general population norms used)
The following table summarizes Jane's vigilance measures and gives general information about how
she compares to the normative group.
Measure Value T-Score Percentile Guideline
Hit RT Block Change -0.03 33.57 6.16 OK
Hit SE Block Change -0.15 26.89 1.36 OK

About the Summary Measures

Conversions were made for d' so that high T-scores (i.e., >= 60) indicate poor performance for ALL
measures listed in the table.

For B, both high AND low scores are noteworthy, indicating unusual response styles.

Likewise, both high and low Hit RT T-scores can be significant. Low T-scores (unusually fast RTs) may
be associated with impulsivity, and high T-scores (unusually slow RTs) may indicate inattentiveness.

In general, the more measures that are atypical, the more likely that a problem exists. The presence of
only one atypical measure does not usually indicate a problem.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 7

Interpretive Guide
The CPT II provides a rich source of information. The report includes four sections. The first section
checks the validity of the administration. The second section defines the measures and summarizes the
respondent's performance on each measure. The third section synthesizes the information from the
measures into a performance profile and provides substantive analysis. The fourth section uses
discriminant analyses to provide an overall assessment, which is summarized briefly in the QuickView
section presented next.

QuickView
Respondent: Jane Sample
Confidence Index Assessment (ADHD): Non-clinical, Confidence Index = 14.19% (i.e., 85.81%
confidence of non-clinical classification)
Non-clinical for Attention Deficit, Confidence Index = 14.19% (i.e., 85.81% confidence of non-clinical
classification). The CPT discriminant function indicates that the results better match a non-clinical than
an ADHD clinical profile. The Confidence Index can be described in the following way. The chances are
85.81 out of 100 that no clinical attention problem exists.
In addition to the Confidence Index, the scores for all of the other specific measures must be considered
when interpreting the results.

Validity of Administration
The CPT II performs a self-diagnostic check of the accuracy of the timing of each CPT administration.
There was no indication of any timing difficulties or respondent non-compliance, and the current
administration should be considered valid.

Definitions and Summary of Measures

This section defines each measure, and provides a brief statement regarding the respondent's
performance with respect to each of these measures. Substantive interpretation is then provided in
subsequent sections.
Omissions
Omissions result from the failure to respond to target letters (i.e., non-Xs)
Jane made fewer omission errors than the average of the normative group.
Commissions
Commission errors are made when responses are given to non-targets (i.e., Xs).
Jane made few commission errors. The percentage of commission errors is lower than the average of
the normative group.
Hit Reaction Time - Overall (Hit RT)
Overall Hit Reaction Time is the average speed of correct responses for the entire test.
Jane's Overall Mean Reaction Time was fast in comparison to the normative group average.
Standard Error - Overall (Hit RT Std Error)
Standard Error is a measure of response speed consistency. The higher the Overall Standard Error, the
greater the inconsistency in the response speed.
Jane's reaction times were less variable than the normative group average. Reaction times were highly
consistent.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 8

Variability of Standard Error

Like Overall Standard Error, the Variability of Standard Error is a measure of response speed
consistency. However, Variability of Standard Error measures "within respondent" variability. That is, the
amount of variability the individual shows in 18 separate segments of the test in relation to his or her
own overall standard error. Although Variability of Standard Error is a different measure than Overall
Standard Error, typically the two measures produce comparable results. The higher the Variability of
Standard Error, the greater the inconsistency in the response speed.
The Variability of Standard Error for Jane was lower than the normative group average.
Detectability (d')
The value d' is a measure of the difference between the signal (non-X) and noise (X) distributions. As
such d' provides a means for assessing an individual's discriminative power since, in general, the
greater the difference between the signal and noise distributions, the better the ability to distinguish and
detect X and non-X stimuli.
Jane had a relatively low T-score for d-prime indicating better than average detectability.
Response Style Indicator (ß)
Beta (ß) represents an individual's response tendency: Some individuals are cautious and choose not to
respond very often. Conceptually, such individuals want to make sure they are correct when they give a
response. Higher values of Beta reflect this response style. The emphasis is on avoiding commission
errors. Other individuals respond more freely to make sure they respond to most or all targets, and they
tend to be less concerned about mistakenly responding to a non-target. Lower values of Beta are
produced by this response style.
The obtained value of Beta is lower than the average of the normative group. Jane's response style was
somewhat different than that of a typical respondent from the norm group.
Perseverations
Any reaction time that is less than 100 ms constitutes a perseverative response. Given normal
expectations of physiological ability to respond, such responses are usually either slow responses to a
preceding stimuli, a random response, an anticipatory response, or a response repeated without
consideration of the stimuli or task requirements.
The percentage of perseverations was lower than the average of the normative group.
Hit Reaction Time by Block (Hit RT Block Change)
Hit RT Block Change measures change in reaction time across the duration of the test. High values of
Hit RT Block Change indicate a substantial slowing in reaction times. Low values indicate that
responses got quicker as the test progressed.
The low T-score on this measure indicates that Jane did an exceptionally good job of sustaining her
reaction time over the duration of the test.
Standard Error by Block (Hit SE Block Change)
Standard Error by Block detects changes in response consistency over the duration of the test.
High values of Hit SE Block Change indicate a substantial loss of consistency as the test progressed.
Low values on this measure indicate sustained or improved response consistency.

The low T-score on this measure indicates that Jane became more consistent in reaction time as the
test progressed.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 9

Reaction Time by Inter-Stimulus Interval (Hit RT ISI Change)

This measure examines change in average reaction times at the different Inter-Stimulus Intervals (i.e.,
when the letters are presented at 1, 2, or 4 sec. intervals).

The obtained value of Hit RT ISI Change is within the average range of the normative group indicating
typical changes in response speeds across the different Inter-Stimulus Interval levels.
Standard Error by Inter-Stimulus Interval (Hit SE ISI Change)
This measure examines change in the standard error of reaction times at the different Inter-Stimulus
Intervals (i.e., when the letters are presented at 1, 2, or 4 sec. intervals).

The high T-score on this measure indicates that Jane showed less consistency in reaction times at the
different Inter-Stimulus Intervals than was typical in the norm group. Sometimes, this finding relates to
activation/arousal needs. Consider optimal stimulation levels in explaining performance.

Profile Analysis
This section integrates all of the CPT data obtained from the administration to provide clinically relevant
interpretations of the results. The interpretations given in this section should be treated as hypotheses,
and must be combined with other information about the respondent.

Jane's responses were very fast and she also made relatively few errors. Therefore, the fast speed
probably represents fast processing ability.
* Jane's CPT performance was substantively affected by the Inter-Stimulus Interval. Specifically,
responses became more erratic when the ISI was slowed from 1 second to 2 and 4 seconds. The
difficulty making the necessary adjustment to the change in tempo of stimulus presentation may reflect
limitations in the ability to adjust to changes in task demands.
In addition, each score can also be considered separately concentrating on T-scores above 60 (if there
are any). High scores in Omissions, Commissions, and Overall Hit Reaction Time pertain to
inattentiveness. High scores on Overall Standard Error and Variability relate to response consistency
and “erraticness.” A high T-score for d' is commonly associated with poor perceptual power for this task
and a below average ability to discriminate targets from non-targets. High scores on either Hit RT ISI
Change or Hit SE ISI Change tend to indicate a difficulty to adjust to changing task demands. High
commission T-scores can be the result of inattentiveness, but when coupled with average or faster than
average reaction times (e.g., Overall Hit RT T-score of 50 or less), it also can be due to impulsivity. High
scores on either Hit RT Block Change or Hit SE Block Change result from a decline in performance as
the test progressed, and high scores on these measures may relate to vigilance deficits.

Overall Assessment
This section looks at the Confidence Index and the number of elevated measures to provide an overall
assessment of performance on the CPT.
ADHD Assessment: CPT Performance Good; No indication of attention problems.
The ADHD Confidence Index suggests non-clinical classification, and few or none of the measures were
elevated significantly.
Important Additional Notations
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 10

The comments in this report are based on general patterns apparent in Jane Sample's responses.
Always examine the graphs and information provided carefully to refine (and add to) the interpretations
given. For instance, you will want to consider the statistics that are not explicitly discussed in this printed
report. Please consult the CPT II Technical Guide and Software Manual, or use the CPT II Help while
examining "on screen" report for information about the statistics.

The comments made in this report should be used as an aid in the assessment process. Other sources
of information (e.g., historical information, assessments, observations) should be used in conjunction
with the information from the CPT II reports when assessing an individual. The information contained in
this report should be treated as confidential.
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 11

Mean Hit Reaction Times - ISI Collapsed

(general population norms used)

>=
Highly Atypical

Moderately Atypical

<=

Hit Standard Errors - ISI Collapsed

(general population norms used)

>=
Highly Atypical

Moderately Atypical

<=
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 12

Mean Hit Reaction Times - ISI Expanded

(general population norms used)

>=
Highly Atypical

Moderately Atypical

<=

Hit Standard Errors - ISI Expanded

(general population norms used)

>=
Highly Atypical

Moderately Atypical

<=
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 13

Block Data (ISI Collapsed)

Measure Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 Block 6
Trials 59 60 60 60 60 60
Targets 53 54 54 54 54 54
% 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00
Hits 53 54 54 54 54 53
% 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 98.00
Omissions 0 0 0 0 0 1
% 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00
Non-Targets 6 6 6 6 6 6
% 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00
Rejections 4 4 3 3 4 4
% 67.00 67.00 50.00 50.00 67.00 67.00
Commissions 2 2 3 3 2 2
% 33.00 33.00 50.00 50.00 33.00 33.00
Overall RT (ms) 389 367 319 331 328 332
Hit RT (ms) 393 362 319 333 328 334
Commission RT (ms) 291 504 316 292 302 268
Hit RT Std. Error (ms) 17.52 21.72 7.56 10.37 8.43 9.99
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 14

Block Data (1 Second ISI)

Measure Block 1 Block 6 Block 9 Block 10 Block 14 Block 17 Overall
Trials 19 20 20 20 20 20 119
Targets 17 18 18 18 18 18 107
% 89.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00
Hits 17 18 18 18 18 17 106
% 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 94.00 99.00
Omissions 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
% 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.00 1.00
Non-Targets 2 2 2 2 2 2 12
% 11.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00
Rejections 0 1 1 1 2 1 6
% 0.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 100.00 50.00 50.00
Commissions 2 1 1 1 0 1 6
% 100.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 0.00 50.00 50.00
Overall RT (ms) 286 332 287 291 323 318 306
Hit RT (ms) 286 311 283 291 323 321 302
Commission RT (ms) 291 714 367 292 0 256 368
Hit RT Std. Error (ms) 15.29 11.52 7.89 12.34 15.64 9.85 5.30
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 15

Block Data (2 Second ISI)

Measure Block 2 Block 4 Block 8 Block 12 Block 13 Block 18 Overall
Trials 20 20 20 20 20 20 120
Targets 18 18 18 18 18 18 108
% 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00
Hits 18 18 18 18 18 18 108
% 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Omissions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Non-Targets 2 2 2 2 2 2 12
% 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00
Rejections 2 2 1 1 1 1 8
% 100.00 100.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 67.00
Commissions 0 0 1 1 1 1 4
% 0.00 0.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 33.00
Overall RT (ms) 405 351 330 335 320 310 341
Hit RT (ms) 405 351 332 338 322 312 343
Commission RT (ms) 0 0 294 279 291 279 286
Hit RT Std. Error (ms) 25.12 23.93 10.11 8.96 10.25 17.63 7.64
CPT II V.5 Profile Report for Jane Sample Page 16

Block Data (4 Second ISI)

Measure Block 3 Block 5 Block 7 Block 11 Block 15 Block 16 Overall
Trials 20 20 20 20 20 20 120
Targets 18 18 18 18 18 18 108
% 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00 90.00
Hits 18 18 18 18 18 18 108
% 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Omissions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Non-Targets 2 2 2 2 2 2 12
% 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00
Rejections 2 1 1 1 1 2 8
% 100.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 100.00 67.00
Commissions 0 1 1 1 1 0 4
% 0.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 0.00 33.00
Overall RT (ms) 483 419 341 366 340 369 386
Hit RT (ms) 483 426 344 370 341 369 389
Commission RT (ms) 0 294 288 305 312 0 300
Hit RT Std. Error (ms) 27.45 56.25 15.33 23.63 16.64 19.11 13.13

Date Printed: Thursday, May 13, 2004

End of Report