Sustained attention and inhibitory control: age and sex related difference in children and adolescents using a CPT with distracting events.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Cross-sectional observational study of age and sex cohorts
PubMed 40910088 · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1609537
What was done
The study examined age- and sex-related differences in sustained attention and inhibitory control in 479 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. Participants completed a continuous performance test (CPT) with distracting visual, auditory, and combined distractor events. Four performance indices were analyzed: omission errors, timing, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without specific numerical values, p-values, or effect sizes. Sustained attention and hyperactivity showed developmental changes into adolescence. Impulsivity changed with age only between 6 and 12 years, with no differences observed between 13 and 17 years. Females consistently showed lower impulsivity than males across ages 6 to 17, whereas sex differences in hyperactivity were no longer evident by age 17. Combined distractors had the largest negative impact on performance, followed by visual and auditory distractors. In adolescents, distractor impact was reduced overall, and auditory distractors showed a positive effect on performance.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that impulsivity and hyperactivity follow distinct developmental trajectories in youth, with impulsivity stabilizing in early adolescence and displaying persistent sex differences.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, baseline demographics, or statistical effect sizes. The cross-sectional design infers developmental trajectories without longitudinal follow-up, and the abstract does not report clinical screening details or control for potential neurodevelopmental conditions.