The pioneering and accurate Test of Variables Attention (TOVAⓇ) is a highly effective neuropsychological assessment often successfully used in conjunction with other methods to diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At San Diego Neurofeedback in La Mesa, California, educational psychologist and neurofeedback therapist Linda Nerenberg, MS, LEP, BCIA-EEG, provides TOVA testing to evaluate various aspects of you or your child’s brain functioning and responses. Linda utilizes the results to devise personalized neurofeedback protocols to reshape and train the brain. To learn more about TOVA testing, call the office or schedule a personal consultation online today.
TOVA Testing Q & A
What is TOVA testing?
The Test of Variables Attention (TOVA) calculates the speed and consistency of response time, impulsivity, focus, and vigilance.
Linda compares the calculations from you or your child’s test to a large age- and gender-matched normative sample and a sample of individuals diagnosed with ADHD. She uses the comparison results to create a report.
The TOVA is a neuropsychological assessment involving a simple computer game. Linda uses the test to measure different variables relating to your response to an auditory or a visual stimulus.
Linda generally uses the TOVA along with other neuropsychological tests, such as subjective questionnaires and interviews, to obtain a diagnosis and assess certain aspects of brain functioning. The TOVA is a successful tool for determining if you or your child have ADHD or attention deficit disorder (ADD).
How does TOVA testing work?
There are usually two parts of the TOVA testing process, visual and auditory:
Visual TOVA
With the visual TOVA, there are two simple geometric figures or shapes. When you take the test and play the computer game, the goal is to click the microswitch when you see the target figure (usually a square with a smaller square inside it near the upper border), and not to click when you see the non-target figure (usually a square with a smaller square inside it near the lower border).
Auditory TOVA
The auditory TOVA is usually the same process. When you take the test, you click when you hear a target that’s presented as a single musical note (often the G above middle C). The goal is not to click when you hear the non-target, which is a different musical note (often the middle C).
The TOVA test is about 11 minutes long for children between ages 4-5, and for everyone over age 5 the test is usually around 22 minutes long.
What are the benefits of TOVA testing?
Linda uses the TOVA results to create individualized neurofeedback protocols for both adults and children. She can use the results for pre- and post-neurofeedback training.
The TOVA offers many benefits. It’s an FDA-cleared, computerized measure of attention and inhibitory control that can be used on everyone ages 4 and up.
The TOVA allows Linda to obtain a comprehensive picture of social, personal, and academic performance and impairment.