According to the National Institutes of Health, hyperactivity is a physical state in which the body has too much activity. Hyperactivity can be characterized by excessive motion, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and excessive talking. There are a variety of causes that can produce hyperactivity, including attention deficit disorder, nervous system disorders, emotional problems, and hyperthyroidism. The assessment of hyperactivity typically includes both physical examination by a medical doctor and psychological assessment by a mental health professional.
Medical and Psychological Assessments
According to the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, hyperactivity is a condition that is typically assessed by both a medical doctor and psychologist. The assessment process first rules out underlying medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism or neurological disorders through psychical exams and blood testing. If there is no apparent physical cause of hyperactivity, a clinician will use one of a variety of assessment tools designed to test a person's concentration. Levels of restlessness and excessive activity must be determined mainly by observation. The Mayo Clinic and the NIH note that there is no specific test to measure hyperactivity, and as a result is assessment process is highly qualitative.
Conners' Continuous Performance Test
In a 1995 report in the National Psychologist, Dr. Larry Rosen offered a summary of three computerized tests commonly used for the diagnosis of AHDH, the first, the Conners' Continuous Performance Test is an interactive test in which an individual must press the space bar on the keyboard when he sees any letter besides the letter X appear on the screen. This test compares the individual's results to a population of adults and children who have been diagnosed with ADHD.
The IVA Computerized Visual & Auditory Continuous Performance Test
According to Dr. Larry Rosen, the IVA Computerized Visual & Auditory Continuous Performance Test uses images of the numbers 1 and 2 and spoken numbers, and the person being tested must click on a computer mouse to respond to what he sees and hears. The test gathers information about an individual's ability to concentrate on both written and spoken information.
Tests of Variables of Attention Continuous Performance Test
Dr. Rosen summarizes the Tests of Variables of Attention Continuous Performance Test, TOVA, as a test that uses symbols and combines them with visual distractors to assess boredom levels. He notes that this test requires more time to complete and it has a built-in mechanism in which the targets on the screen appear at a rapid speed, testing for inhibition.
Expert Insights on Testing
The NIH and Mayo Clinic note that all of these assessment tools can gather information regarding an individual's level of concentration and distractibility, but it is also very common to rely on observations of the person's daily activities. Reports, questionnaires and rating scales from parents or teachers are often gathered to assess an individual's level of hyperactivity. In addition, a psychologist doing an in-depth assessment for hyperactivity will often observe a patient in his environment, such as a school classroom. The process of testing for hyperactivity can be quite subjective, as it tends to rely heavily on personal reports and observations.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Hyperactivity
- Kidshealth.org: What is Hyperactivity
- National Institute of Mental Health: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Mayo Clinic: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children
- Larry D. Rosen, "Three ADHD Tests Prove Computerized Technology Vital Tool for Clinicians", The National Psychologist, Nov./Dec, 1995
