FocusZone Manual

This document describes all ten concentration games in FocusZone, their clinical neuropsychological background, and the evaluation options in the admin board. As of: May 2026.

Contents

Overview & concept
Game 1 – Memory Storm
Game 2 – Number Ninja (Zahlen-Ninja)
Game 3 – Pattern Catcher
Game 4 – Focus Dash
Game 5 – Signal Counter (Signal-Zähler)
Game 6 – Arrow Counter (Pfeil-Zähler)
Game 7 – Star Scanner DT (Sternen-Scanner DT)
Game 8 – Herb Search (Kräutersuche)
Game 9 – Lightning Reaction (Blitz-Reaktion)
Game 10 – Pathfinder (Pfadfinder)
Admin board – evaluation
Practice settings
Patient management
Glossary
Professional access

🎯 Overview & concept

FocusZone is a web-based training platform with ten concentration games that translate neuropsychological test paradigms from the clinical setting into playful exercises. The system is aimed at children and adolescents with concentration or attention difficulties (e.g. ADHD) and enables longitudinal monitoring of progress through the integrated admin board.

The games train established attention constructs from neuropsychology, a standardized test battery for assessing different components of attention. Each game specifically targets one or more cognitive constructs.

Attention components

Selective · Focused · Divided · Sustained attention · Inhibition

Data storage

Every click / input is saved with a timestamp and level (max. 300 sessions per game)

Daily note

After login, medication, dosage and mood can be entered – this appears with every session

Level system

Every game starts at level 1 and automatically increases difficulty, speed and complexity

Device support

PC · Tablet · Smartphone – mouse, keyboard and touchscreen are supported

🖥️ Device consistency for meaningful comparison values Reaction times, click accuracy and response patterns vary depending on the input device (mouse vs. touchscreen) and display size. For valid longitudinal comparisons, every session should be carried out on the same device and with the same input method. Changing devices between sessions means the measured values are not directly comparable and should be noted accordingly in the evaluation.

🃏

Game 1 – Memory Storm

Working memory · Sustained attention

Game principle

On the playing field, cards with emojis flash up briefly and are immediately covered again. The task is to find matching pairs by tapping and to remember them. With every level the playing field grows (more card pairs) and the time the cards are visible becomes shorter, which places higher demands on working memory.

During the memorization phase a countdown is shown at the top. As soon as the player has the positions in mind, they can end the phase at any time with the Ready → button – the cards are then turned over immediately and the game clock starts. In levels 1–4 the maximum viewing time is 45 seconds; from level 5 it is shortened progressively down to 8 seconds at very high levels.

Clinical background

Memory Storm is based on classic paired-associate memory paradigms. Briefly memorizing the card positions requires active visual working memory, and persevering over many rounds trains sustained attention.

Cognitive constructs: sustained attention & working memory Both subtests measure the ability to stay concentrated over a longer period (sustained attention). Memory Storm combines this demand with a memory component.

Level progression

Level	Grid	Card pairs	Viewing time (max)	Game time	Special feature
1	4×3	6 pairs	45 s	90 s	Introduction
2	4×4	8 pairs	45 s	120 s	Larger field
3	5×4	10 pairs	45 s	160 s	More to remember, time penalty for errors
4	6×4	12 pairs	45 s	210 s	Full field
5	6×4	12 pairs	35 s	200 s	Viewing time drops for the first time
6	6×4	12 pairs	25 s	190 s	Short time window for memorizing
7	7×4	14 pairs	30 s	230 s	Larger grid, more pairs
8	7×4	14 pairs	20 s	215 s	High working memory required
9	8×4	16 pairs	25 s	260 s	Maximum grid
10	8×4	16 pairs	15 s	245 s	Very short viewing time
11+	8×4	16 pairs	8–13 s	245 s	Viewing time keeps dropping (minimum 8 s)

The player can end the memorization phase at any time with Ready →; the stated time is the maximum. From level 5 the viewing time drops progressively — this is the central difficulty feature of the higher levels.

Recorded measurement data (per flip attempt)

Field	Description
`seq`	Sequential number of the attempt within the session
`level`	Level at the time of the attempt
`matched`	true = pair found, false = no match
`card_a`, `card_b`	The two emoji symbols that were revealed
`time_ms`	Time between the first and second card click (recognition time of the pair)
`iti_ms`	Inter-trial interval: time from the end of a trial (cards flipped back) to the first click of the next trial – short = impulsive, long = deliberation time
`re_error`	true if the same wrong card pair is revealed a second time (repetition error). Measures whether the player remembers their own errors.
`t_ms`	Time since session start (for placing the attempt in the course of the game)

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`max_level`	Primary indicator – highest level started (= ceiling of working memory)
`accuracy_completed`	Pair accuracy for completed levels only (excluding the last, failed level) – a fairer measure than overall accuracy
`error_rate`	Overall error rate including the last level (structurally high, since failing at the ceiling is expected – for reference only)
`avg_flip_ms`	Average recognition time for successful attempts (low = fast recognition)
`pairs_found`	Absolute number of pairs found over the whole session
`total_misses`	Absolute number of failed attempts over the whole session
`combo_max`	Highest combo streak (consecutive hits without errors)
`re_error_count`	Absolute number of repetition errors (same wrong pair revealed again)
`re_error_rate`	Proportion of failed attempts in which the same wrong pair was revealed again (0 = no forgotten error pair; 1 = all errors are repetition errors). Measures memory for one's own errors.
`avg_iti_ms`	Mean inter-trial interval over all attempts (short = impulsive, long = deliberation time before the next click)
`avg_iti_after_match_ms`	Mean ITI after hits
`avg_iti_after_miss_ms`	Mean ITI after errors (typically longer than after hits = post-error slowing)

Staircase effect on accuracy The game ends when the lives in the last level are used up – failing there is expected by the game design and is not a sign of poor performance. Overall accuracy is therefore artificially depressed. accuracy_completed and max_level are the clinically more meaningful values.

Clinical interpretation: re_error_rate A high re_error_rate (close to 1.0) means that the player, even after a failed attempt, does not remember which pair was wrong – and reveals it again next time. This is a sensitive marker of impaired error memory and reduced self-monitoring, which is frequently observed in ADHD and working memory weaknesses.

Clinical interpretation: avg_iti_ms A very short mean ITI indicates an impulsive approach – the player hardly waits before making the next card click. A markedly longer avg_iti_after_miss_ms compared to avg_iti_after_match_ms is a sign of post-error slowing (adaptive behavior after errors), which is often absent or attenuated in ADHD.

🥷

Game 2 – Number Ninja (Zahlen-Ninja)

Selective attention · Inhibitory control · Cognitive flexibility

Game principle

Arithmetic problems fall from the top of the screen. Red problems must be solved and the answer entered via a number pad – before the block reaches the bottom edge. From level 4, colorful distractor blocks (blue, green, purple, yellow) also appear, with real arithmetic problems that must be deliberately ignored.

Number pad – phone layout The answer is entered via a number pad. The pad is arranged in the phone layout (1–2–3 in the top row, as is usual on mobile phones) – not in the calculator layout (7–8–9 at the top). The ✓ key confirms the input, ⌫ deletes the last digit.

Dual demand from level 4 The player has to calculate and at the same time decide whether a block may be answered at all. This is a classic combination of Go/No-Go and selective attention.

Clinical background

The basic mechanic (finding targets among distractors and responding correctly) corresponds to the visual search paradigm (searching for targets among distractors) as well as Herb Search (Kräutersuche) (targeted searching in space). The inhibition component (ignoring colorful blocks although they show solvable problems) corresponds to the Go/No-Go paradigm.

Level progression

Level	Operations	Distractor blocks	Max. simultaneous blocks
1–2	+ −	No	1
3	+ −	No	1–2
4	+ −	1 color (rare)	2
5–6	+ − ×	2 colors	2–3
7–8	+ − ×	2–3 colors (more frequent)	3
8+	+ − × ÷	3–4 colors	3

Recorded measurement data (per attempt)

Field	Description
`seq`	Running number of the attempt
`level`	Level at the time of the attempt
`task`	The problem as text, e.g. "7 + 5"
`correct_ans`	Correct answer
`user_input`	Answer entered (null on timeout)
`reaction_ms`	Time between the block appearing and the input
`correct`	true/false
`reason`	`timeout` = block missed · `wrong_input` = wrong answer · `inhibition_failure` = colorful block answered
`t_ms`	Time since session start

Inhibition error (inhibition_failure) If an answer is entered that happens to match a colorful problem, this is scored as an inhibition error and recorded separately. This can be a clinically relevant indication that the impulse to respond could not be suppressed.

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`avg_reaction_ms`	Mean reaction time of correctly answered trials (time between the block appearing and the input)
`correct`	Number of correctly answered red blocks
`missed`	Number of missed (timeout) and incorrectly answered blocks
`accuracy`	Calculation accuracy: correct / total trials (0–1)
`combo_max`	Highest combo streak (consecutive correct answers)
`operations`	Arithmetic operations used in this session (array: add / sub / mul / div)

💠

Game 3 – Pattern Catcher

Visual-spatial working memory · Sequence memory

Game principle

Squares light up in a particular order on a 3×3 grid. The task is to reproduce the same sequence exactly afterwards by tapping the squares. With every level the sequence gets longer. Errors are visible immediately – the wrong square lights up red.

Clinical background

Pattern Catcher is a direct implementation of the Corsi block-tapping test, the standard paradigm for measuring visual-spatial memory span. The maximum sequence length that can be reproduced without error corresponds to the “Corsi span” and is an established clinical marker of visual-spatial working memory.

Corsi block-tapping test The original test was developed by Philip Corsi in 1972 and is used worldwide today in neuropsychological diagnostics. According to reference values of the original Corsi test, the span in 15-year-olds is typically ≥ 5 squares; values of 3–4 may be taken as an indication of possible difficulties in visual-spatial working memory — a clinical assessment by a qualified professional remains necessary, however.

Level progression

Level	Sequence length	Notes
1	3 squares	Entry level
2–3	4–5 squares	Normal range of Corsi span
4–5	6–7 squares	Above average, high demand
6+	8+ squares	Requires excellent visual working memory

Recorded measurement data (per round)

Field	Description
`round`	Round number within the session
`level`	Current level
`seq_len`	Length of the sequence to be reproduced
`target_seq`	Order shown (square numbers 0–8)
`user_seq`	Order tapped by the player
`press_times`	Time of each tap in ms (from the start of the round)
`error_at`	Position of the first error (null = correct)
`correct`	true = completely correct
`time_ms`	Total duration of the reproduction
`t_ms`	Time since session start

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`max_seq_len`	Primary indicator (Corsi span) – longest sequence reproduced correctly. Corresponds to the clinical Corsi span: norm for 15-year-olds ≥ 5.
`accuracy`	Proportion of completely correct rounds / total rounds (0–1)
`perfect_rounds`	Absolute number of error-free rounds
`errors`	Absolute number of rounds with at least one error
`avg_recognition_ms`	Mean total duration of the reproduction in correct rounds (low = fast, confident reproduction)
`grid_size`	Grid size at the end of the session (3×3 / 2×3 / 2×2) – shows the complexity level at which the game was played

★

Game 4 – Focus Dash

Go/No-Go · Response inhibition · Conjunction tasks

Game principle

Circular targets appear and disappear again after a short time. Each target shows a symbol and has a colour. The task: tap only the correct targets, ignore all the others. From level 4, colour becomes an additional criterion – only certain colour-symbol combinations are GO targets.

Rule structure

Level 1–3 (simple)

★ Tap ✦ Ignore

Only the symbol decides.

Level 4+ (conjunction)

🟢★ Tap 🔵★ Tap

🔴★ Ignore 🟠★ Ignore ✦ Ignore

Colour AND symbol must both match.

Colour progression of the NOGO colours

Level	NOGO colours with ★	GO colours with ★
1–3	none (only ✦ is NOGO)	Green (all ★)
4	Red	Green, Blue
5	Red, Orange	Green, Blue
6	Red, Orange, Purple	Green, Blue
7+	Red, Orange, Purple, Yellow	Green, Blue

Clinical background

The Go/No-Go test (levels 1–3) follows the classic and measures response inhibition (the ability to suppress an impulse). The conjunction task from level 4 (colour AND symbol) corresponds cognitively to the Opposite Worlds subtest: a learned response (tap ★) has to be overridden by a rule (wrong colour = ignore). This is a higher level of inhibitory control, which is often impaired in ADHD-typical profiles.

Recorded measurement data (per target)

Field	Description
`seq`	Running number of the trial
`level`	Level at that time
`type`	`go` = GO target · `nogo_shape` = ✦ target (shape rule) · `nogo_color` = ★ with the wrong colour (colour conjunction)
`color`	Colour of the target (green, blue, red, orange, purple, yellow)
`reaction_ms`	Reaction time in ms (null = not tapped / correctly ignored)
`correct`	true = responded correctly (GO tapped or NOGO ignored)
`t_ms`	Time since session start

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`avg_reaction_ms`	Mean reaction time for GO targets (including the mouse-movement component)
`median_reaction_ms`	Median reaction time (more robust against outliers than the mean)
`rt_sd`	Standard deviation of reaction time – a measure of consistency of attention (ADHD marker)
`rt_p10`	10th percentile – the fastest 10 % of reactions. Since the cursor is already close to the target when tapping, P10 approaches the pure cognitive RT.
`go_accuracy`	Proportion of GO targets tapped correctly (0–1)
`nogo_inhibition`	Proportion of NOGO targets correctly ignored (0–1, both types: shape and colour NOGO)
`color_nogo_inhibition`	Inhibition rate specifically for colour-conjunction NOGOs (★ wrong colour, level 4+)
`hits`	Absolute number of GO targets tapped correctly
`misses`	Absolute number of GO targets not tapped (omission errors)
`false_alarms`	Absolute number of NOGO targets tapped in error (commission errors)
`max_combo`	Highest combo streak (consecutive correct responses)

💡

Game 5 – Signal-Zähler

Sustained attention · Divided attention · Inhibition

Game principle

Symbols appear on the screen in rapid succession – including the target symbol 💡 (light bulb) and various distractor symbols (💥 ✨ 🌀 etc.). The task is: count only the light bulbs 💡, ignore all other symbols. A sound may play at the same time – from level 3 the distractors also have their own sounds, and from level 4 sounds and images may deliberately not match (mismatch). When the sequence is over, the player enters the number they counted.

From level 4 a special mechanism is added: the target sound sometimes plays with a distractor (and vice versa). This tempts players to react to the sound alone – the player must still count only the visual 💡 symbol.

Visual distinctness To make sure two consecutive flashes can be told apart, a short blank is enforced between every event – even when two events follow each other quickly. The target sound is a distinctive rising ping that stands out clearly from all distractor sounds.

Clinical background

Signal-Zähler trains sustained attention: children count a tone sequence having to listen and count how often two tones follow each other directly. In FocusZone the paradigm is extended bimodally: image AND sound must be perceived at the same time. This trains two components at once:

Sustained attention (vigilance): The entire sequence must be monitored without gaps.
Divided attention: Monitoring two sensory channels (auditory + visual) at the same time.
Inhibition: Actively suppressing partial signals (sound only or image only).

Cognitive constructs: sustained attention The original test requires monitoring a monotonous tone sequence for 1–2 minutes and counting target pairs. This sustained-attention aspect is often particularly pronounced in ADHD-typical profiles, since the level of attention can drop markedly after a few minutes.

Level progression & timing

The number of targets and distractors is chosen randomly per round within the stated range – so no level is exactly predictable.

Level	Targets 💡	Distractors	Interval	Display time	Active features
1	4–7	0	2000 ms	800 ms	Visual only (no sound)
2	8–14	3–9	1700 ms	650 ms	Sound for targets · first distractors
3	10–17	7–15	1550 ms	580 ms	+ sound for distractors too
4	10–17	10–20	1380 ms	540 ms	+ sound-image mismatch 8%
5	12–20	15–28	1200 ms	470 ms	+ similar distractor sound · 14% mismatch
6	14–23	20–36	1050 ms	400 ms	22% mismatch
7	16–27	26–46	900 ms	330 ms	28% mismatch
8	20–32	32–56	750 ms	270 ms	35% mismatch
9	24–38	40–70	580 ms	210 ms	42% mismatch

Mismatch mechanism (level 4+) The target sound can play with a distractor – and conversely a 💡 can stay silent or be accompanied by a distractor sound. Anyone who relies on the sound alone will count wrongly. From level 5 there is additionally a “similar” sound that resembles the target ping but is clearly lower.

Adaptive staircase rule

Like all FocusZone games, Signal-Zähler uses a 2-back staircase: 2 consecutive exact hits (counting error = 0) → raise the level. 2 consecutive errors → lower the level. Difficulty thus adapts automatically to the current performance level.

Recorded measurement data (per round)

Field	Description
`rnd`	Round number within the session
`lvl`	Level at the time of the round
`tgt`	Expected number of hits (target symbols 💡 that actually occurred in this round)
`dst`	Number of distractors in this round
`misTgt`	Number of sound-image mismatches for targets: sound plays but no 💡 symbol appears (level 4+)
`misDst`	Number of sound-image mismatches for distractors: target sound with the wrong symbol (level 4+)
`ans`	Number of hits entered by the player
`err`	Absolute deviation (\|ans − tgt\|)
`pts`	Points: 100 × level for err = 0, 60 × level for err = 1

Session KPIs in the admin area

Metric	Meaning
`rounds`	Rounds played (max. 10 per session)
`exact_hits`	Absolute number of rounds with counting error = 0 (exact hit)
`near_hits`	Absolute number of rounds with counting error = 1
`misses`	Absolute number of rounds with counting error ≥ 2
`accuracy`	Hit rate: (exact_hits + near_hits) / rounds (0–1)
`avg_error`	Mean deviation across all rounds (low = accurate counting)
`distractor_effect`	Accuracy difference between rounds without and with distractors (positive = distractors worsen performance). Inhibition indicator.
`total_mismatch_events`	Total number of sound-image mismatches that occurred across all rounds

Clinical interpretation: distractor_effect A high distractor_effect shows that distractor symbols noticeably reduce counting accuracy. This is an indicator of inhibition: the player cannot prevent distractors from disrupting their attention. In ADHD-typical profiles this effect is often disproportionately pronounced and is well suited as a sensitive marker for tracking change over time.

🧭

Game 6 – Pfeil-Zähler (Arrow Counter)

Cognitive flexibility · Mental arithmetic · Working memory

Game principle

Arrows appear on the screen one after another. The rule is simple: → adds 1 to the running count, ← subtracts 1. The player has to keep track of the count entirely in their head – no intermediate value is shown. The sequence begins with a random starting number (8–15). After the last arrow, the player enters the calculated final value.

A change of direction (← after → or vice versa) is signalled by a brief yellow ring around the arrow and is also highlighted by a sound. From level 5 onwards, ↑↓ arrows also appear as distractors that have to be ignored.

Clinical background

Pfeil-Zähler trains cognitive flexibility. In the comparable paradigm, little animals climb up or down a ladder; the counting direction changes with every reversal. The paradigm measures:

Cognitive flexibility (task switching): At a change of direction, the calculation rule has to be switched spontaneously.
Verbal / numerical working memory: Holding the running count in mind over a long sequence.
Inhibition control (level 5+): Suppressing ↑↓ distractor arrows that make no contribution to the count.

Cognitive constructs: Cognitive flexibility & task switching In the original test, a Corsi-like logic applies: the more changes of direction a sequence contains, the more the cognitive flexibility is taxed. Children with ADHD typically show a disproportionate drop in performance at a higher switch rate, because switching the mental set places increased demands on the prefrontal cortex.

Level progression & timing

Level	Arrows	Switches	Display time	Pause	Ø presentation	Distractors (↑↓)
1	8	1	1600 ms	650 ms	~18 s	—
2	12	2	1470 ms	600 ms	~25 s	—
3	16	3	1340 ms	550 ms	~30 s	—
4	20	4	1210 ms	500 ms	~34 s	—
5	24	5	1080 ms	450 ms	~37 s	10%
6	28	6	950 ms	400 ms	~38 s	20%
7	32	7	820 ms	350 ms	~37 s	30%
8	36	8	690 ms	300 ms	~36 s	30%

Why does the duration decrease again at high levels? From level 7, the pace (shorter display and pause times) increases faster than the sequence length grows. As a result, the pure presentation phase becomes shorter from level 7 – even though more arrows are shown. The cognitive load nevertheless rises sharply, because sequence length, switch rate and distractors increase at the same time.

Staircase rule (Pfeil-Zähler)

Pfeil-Zähler uses a somewhat more tolerant staircase rule than the other games, since exact counting is particularly difficult in long sequences:

Errors (err)	Rating	Effect on staircase
0 or 1	Good	consGood++; after 2× good → level +1
2	Neutral	No change (no streak reset)
3 or more	Poor	consBad++; after 2× poor → level −1

Recorded measurement data (per round)

Field	Description
`rnd`	Round number
`level`	Level in this round (before the staircase adjustment)
`start`	Random starting number (8–15)
`correct`	Mathematically correct final value of the sequence
`ans`	Value entered by the player
`err`	Magnitude of the deviation (\|ans − correct\|)
`switches`	Number of changes of direction in this round
`seqLen`	Number of regular arrows (without distractors)
`dstCount`	Number of ↑↓ distractors that actually appeared
`pts`	Points: 100×level (err=0), 60×level (err=1), 25×level (err=2)

Session KPIs in the admin area

Metric	Meaning
`rounds`	Rounds played (max. 12 per session)
`exact_hits`	Absolute number of rounds with counting error = 0 (exact hit)
`near_hits`	Absolute number of rounds with 0 < err ≤ 2 (near hits)
`misses`	Absolute number of rounds with err > 2
`accuracy`	Exact-hit rate: exact_hits / rounds (0–1)
`avg_error`	Ø deviation across all rounds
`switch_effect`	Difference in errors between rounds with a high vs. low number of switches (positive = switches impair accuracy). Clinically sensitive for cognitive flexibility deficits.
`total_score`	Total score of the session

Clinical interpretation: switch_effect A high switch_effect (e. g. +2.5) means that counting accuracy with many changes of direction is clearly worse than with few. This is a sensitive marker for deficits in cognitive flexibility and in working memory under switching load – typical of ADHD and executive function weaknesses.

Game 7 Dual task

Game 7 – Sternen-Scanner DT (Star Scanner DT)

Sternen-Scanner DT is a dual-task game: the player works on two tasks at the same time – visual symbol search and auditory counting. The game measures how well attentional capacity can be divided between two parallel demands.

Clinical background

Sternen-Scanner DT trains divided attention. In the classic paper test, children search a sheet for pairs of stars (visual) while counting tones (auditory). The key measure is the dual-task cost: how much does performance on each single task drop when both tasks have to be carried out in parallel?

Divided attention: Distributing limited attentional capacity across two simultaneous channels (visual + auditory).
Resource competition: Both tasks draw on the same central processing channel – in ADHD this is more narrowly limited.
Channel-specific decline: In ADHD, the auditory channel often suffers more than the visual one – measuring them separately reveals this.

Cognitive constructs: Divided attention (dual task) In the original test, single-task performance (searching for symbols alone, counting tones alone) is the baseline. Dual-task cost = single-task performance − dual-task performance. A value close to 0 means no resource competition; high values (>25 percentage points) indicate impaired divided attention – this can be particularly conspicuous in ADHD-typical profiles and with executive function weaknesses.

Game structure (3 phases)

The game is divided into three consecutive phases that run automatically one after the other:

Phase	Task	Rounds	Purpose
Phase A	Visual symbol search only	1 (fixed)	Visual baseline
Phase B	Counting tones only	1 (fixed)	Auditory baseline
Phase C	Both at the same time	up to 15 (adaptive)	Dual-task measurement

Visual task (phase A & C)

Pairs of symbols appear on the playing field – two characters side by side (e. g. ◉◉ or ◉▲). The player clicks only on pairs with identical symbols. Pairs with different symbols are distractors and are ignored. Each symbol pair disappears automatically after a level-dependent time. Missed targets and false clicks are recorded.

Symbols: ◉ ▲ ◆ ★ ■ ✦
Static position – no drift or movement
Cards are placed without collisions – new items do not overlap any already present
A countdown bar below each item shows the remaining time
Click on a target (match): green confirmation + points
Click on a distractor (no match): red marking, no point

Auditory task (phase B & C)

During the round, short tones sound at random times. The player silently counts all the tones. At the end of the round, they enter the counted number on a numpad.

Number of tones per round: level-dependent (3–13)
Minimum gap between two tones: 1.2 seconds – no rapid hammering
Tone count entry at the end of every phase B and phase C round
Error: |entry − actual number|

Staircase rule (phase C)

Phase C adjusts the difficulty automatically:

Good round: visual accuracy ≥ 75% AND tone error ≤ 1
Poor round: visual accuracy < 55% OR tone error ≥ 3
2 good rounds → level goes up; 2 poor rounds → level goes down
Phase C ends after a maximum of 15 rounds or when a plateau is detected (5 consecutive rounds at the same level after at least 10 rounds)

Level configuration

Level	Visual items	Display duration	Tones per round
1	3	4.5 s	3–5
2	5	4.0 s	3–6
3	7	3.5 s	4–7
4	9	3.0 s	5–8
5	11	2.6 s	5–9
6	13	2.6 s	6–10
7	15	2.4 s	6–11
8	17	2.2 s	7–12
9	19	2.0 s	7–13
10	22	1.8 s	8–13

Session KPIs in the admin area

Metric	Meaning
Visual single (A)	Ø visual hit rate from phase A (baseline without distraction by tones)
Tone single (B)	Ø tone counting accuracy from phase B (1.0 = exact, 0.5 = ±1, 0 = wrong)
Visual dual (C)	Ø visual hit rate in phase C under dual-task conditions
Tone dual (C)	Ø tone counting accuracy in phase C under dual-task conditions
DT cost visual	Dual-minus-single difference, visual (negative value = performance drop; 0% = no effect)
DT cost auditory	Dual-minus-single difference, auditory (central progress indicator for divided attention)
Max. level	Highest difficulty level reached in phase C (informational value, not a rated metric)
Phase C rounds	Number of dual-task rounds completed (max. 15)

🔬 Performance metrics (analysis of game performance)

Metric	Good	Normal	Explanation
Visual single (phase A)	≥ 80%	≥ 65%	Baseline visual hit rate
Tone single (phase B)	≥ 85%	≥ 70%	Baseline tone counting accuracy
Visual dual (phase C)	≥ 75%	≥ 55%	Visual performance under dual task
Tone dual (phase C)	≥ 80%	≥ 60%	Tone performance under dual task
DT cost visual	≤ 10%	≤ 25%	Performance drop, visual · 0% = no effect
DT cost auditory	≤ 10%	≤ 25%	Performance drop, auditory · central progress indicator
Max. level phase C	– Info		Not a rated metric – shows the difficulty level

Clinical interpretation: dual-task cost A dual-task cost of −25% or more (i. e. performance drops by more than 25 percentage points when switching from single to dual task) can be regarded as indicative. In ADHD-typical profiles, one channel is often affected more than the other – e. g. the auditory channel. Looking at the two modalities separately allows more differentiated monitoring of progress.

Stored trial data (per round)

Field	Meaning
`phase`	`A` (visual alone) / `B` (auditory alone) / `C` (dual task)
`round`	Round number within the phase
`level`	Adaptive difficulty level (phase C only; null in A and B)
`visual_targets`	Number of target symbol pairs in the round
`visual_hits`	Of these, correctly clicked
`visual_fa`	False alarms: false clicks on distractors
`visual_acc`	Visual hit rate (hits / targets, 0–1)
`tone_target`	Actual number of tones (null in phase A, as there are no tones)
`tone_given`	Number of tones entered
`tone_error`	Magnitude of the tone deviation (null in phase A)
`good_round`	Staircase rating (true/false, phase C only)
`adapt_msg`	Level adjustment message after the round: ↑ (level up) / ↓ (level down) / null (no change). Phase C only.
`score`	Points for this round (phase C only: hits ×10 + tone bonus; phase A/B = 0)

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`visual_acc_single`	Ø visual hit rate phase A (baseline without tone task)
`tone_acc_single`	Ø tone accuracy phase B (baseline without search task; 1.0 = exact, 0.5 = ±1 error, 0 = wrong)
`visual_acc_dual`	Ø visual hit rate phase C (dual-task condition)
`tone_acc_dual`	Ø tone accuracy phase C (dual-task condition)
`dt_cost_visual`	Dual-task cost, visual = visual_acc_dual − visual_acc_single (negative = performance drop under dual task)
`dt_cost_auditory`	Dual-task cost, auditory = tone_acc_dual − tone_acc_single (central progress indicator for divided attention)
`max_level`	Highest level reached in phase C (adaptive difficulty level, not a norm value)
`rounds_total`	Total number of rounds played (all phases)
`rounds_a`	Number of phase A rounds (always 1, visual baseline)
`rounds_b`	Number of phase B rounds (always 1, auditory baseline)
`rounds_c`	Number of phase C rounds (max. 15, dual-task measurement)

Game 8 Visual search

Game 8 – Kräutersuche (Herb Hunt)

Kräutersuche (Herb Hunt) is a visual search game: 450 symbols are scattered across a large, scrollable flower meadow. Among them are 68 target plants (🌿 herbs and 🍀 clover). The player has to track down the target plants systematically within 3 minutes and mark them by clicking on them.

Clinical background

Kräutersuche trains selective attention and visual search strategy. The task requires identifying relevant target stimuli (target symbols) among a large number of irrelevant distractors, while proceeding systematically.

Selective attention: Recognising target symbols among 382 distractors – staying focused despite a flood of visual information.
Search strategy: Systematic scanning (e. g. row by row) is more efficient than chaotic searching – the systematicity score measures this.
Impulse control: False hits (clicks on distractors) are penalised – clicking too hastily lowers the score.
Planning ability: An orderly search path with short distances between hits indicates a structured approach.

Cognitive constructs: visual search & search strategy The game records not only how many targets are found, but also how the search is carried out. The systematicity score indicates how purposeful and orderly the search path was – an important progress indicator for executive planning abilities.

Game setup

Parameter	Value
Game time	3 minutes
Meadow size	2048 × 1536 px (scrollable flower meadow)
Total symbols	450
Target plant 1	🌿 Herbs – 38 items
Target plant 2	🍀 Clover – 30 items
Distractors	382 colourful flowers (🌸🌺🌻🌼🌷🌹 etc.)
Symbol size	Small, greyscale – targets recognisable by shape only
Marking	Click → symbol turns green + numbered badge (order)

Controls

The meadow can be scrolled – it is larger than the screen.
Click on a target plant (🌿 or 🍀): the symbol is marked green and an order number appears.
Click on a distractor: counts as a false hit (−50 points).
Symbols that have already been marked cannot be clicked again.
"Done" button: ends the game immediately (before time runs out).
After the game: target symbols that were not found are highlighted in red.

Score calculation

Score = hits × 80 + remaining seconds × 5 − false hits × 50

Session KPIs in the admin area

Metric	Meaning
Hits	Number of target symbols correctly found (max. 68)
Missed	Target symbols not found
False hits	Clicks on distractors
Accuracy	Hits / total target symbols (0–100 %)
Ø distance (px)	Mean distance between consecutive hits – a measure of search efficiency
Systematicity	Proportion of consecutive hit pairs without a strong backward movement (upwards) – measures orderly scanning (0–100 %)
Path length (px)	Total length of the search path travelled between all hits

🔬 Performance metrics (analysis of game performance)

Metric	Good	Normal	Explanation
Hit rate	≥ 78 %	≥ 55 %	Proportion of target symbols found
False-hit rate	≤ 5 %	≤ 18 %	False hits / (hits + false hits + missed)
Systematicity	≥ 70 %	≥ 45 %	Orderliness of the search path
Ø distance	– Info		Not a rated metric; lower values = more efficient search

Search path visualisation in the admin area

Each Kräutersuche session shows a canvas minimap in the admin area (compact thumbnail, click to enlarge in a full-screen overlay):

● coloured dots (green → red): hits in chronological order – the colour encodes the time elapsed since the previous hit (green = found quickly, red = searched for a long time). In the enlarged overlay, the actual symbol (🌿 / 🍀) and the order number are also shown above the dot.
Connecting lines: colour gradient (dark green → light green) shows the progression of the search path over time
🌿 / 🍀 faded (28 % opacity): missed target symbols at their exact map position – shows where no search was done
× red: false hit (click on a distractor)

Clicking the minimap opens an overlay at full resolution (up to 90 % of the screen). Close with ESC or by clicking outside.

Stored trial data (per click)

Field	Meaning
`action`	`mark` = hit on a target plant · `false_alarm` = click on a distractor
`id`	Internal symbol ID
`icon`	Symbol character (🌿 herbs or 🍀 clover)
`type`	`target` / `distractor`
`order`	Order of the hit (1, 2, 3 … – chronological sequence of finds)
`x`, `y`	Click position on the map (in map pixels)
`t_ms`	Time since game start in ms

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`hits`	Total target symbols found (max. 68)
`hits_t1`	🌿 Herbs found (out of 38)
`hits_t2`	🍀 Clover found (out of 30)
`misses`	Target symbols not found (68 − hits)
`false_alarms`	Clicks on distractors (false hits)
`accuracy`	Hit rate: hits / total_targets (0–1)
`false_alarm_rate`	False-hit rate: false_alarms / (hits + false_alarms + misses)
`time_used_sec`	Game time actually used, in seconds (max. 180)
`total_targets`	Total number of target symbols: 68 (38 herbs + 30 clover)
`total_symbols`	Total symbols on the meadow: 450
`avg_dist_px`	Ø distance between consecutive hits in pixels (low = efficient, spatially concentrated search)
`total_path_px`	Total length of the search path (sum of all distances between consecutive hits)
`systematicity`	Proportion of consecutive hit pairs without backward movement (0–100 %). Measures orderly, row-by-row searching.
`hit_sequence`	Chronological hit list: per hit order, x, y, icon, t_ms
`false_alarms_seq`	False-hit list: per click x, y, t_ms
`missed_targets`	Targets not found: per symbol x, y, icon
`dists`	Array of distances between consecutive hits (basis for avg_dist_px and total_path_px)

⚡

Game 9 – Blitz-Reaktion (Lightning Reaction)

Sustained attention · Impulse control · CPT

Blitz-Reaktion (Lightning Reaction) is a Continuous Performance Test (CPT): a stimulus briefly appears in the middle of the screen – either ⚡ (go stimulus) or 🛑 (no-go stimulus). The player responds to the go stimulus by clicking or pressing Enter, and ignores the no-go stimulus. The inter-stimulus interval (ISI) varies randomly to prevent anticipation.

Clinical background

The CPT paradigm is one of the best-validated neuropsychological instruments for assessing sustained attention and impulse control. The most important clinical markers:

ISD (intra-individual standard deviation of RT): The strongest signal for ADHD – high variability in reaction times indicates inconsistent regulation of attention.
Commission rate: Responding to no-go stimuli = impaired impulse control, a classic ADHD marker.
Vigilance decrement: Slowing of RT from the beginning to the end indicates fatigability and declining vigilance.
Post-error slowing: Slowing after an error (adaptive behaviour) – often absent in ADHD.
Omission rate: Missed go stimuli = attention lapses, fatigue.

Advantage over Focus Dash: Because the stimulus appears at a fixed central position (no mouse-movement component), the measured reaction times are much closer to the true cognitive processing time. The ISD is therefore more comparable with clinical CPT norms than with moving targets.

Game setup

Parameter	Value
Trials	75
Go proportion	72 %
ISI (min/max)	1000–2600 ms
Stimulus duration	200 ms
Response window	1000 ms

Controls

⚡ appears briefly in the middle – click or press Enter/Space as quickly as possible.
🛑 appears – do nothing (ignore it).
Responding to 🛑 counts as a commission error (−60 points).
No response to ⚡ counts as an omission (−15 points).
Correctly not responding to 🛑 earns +25 points.

Score calculation

Hit: 100 points + speed bonus (up to +60) + streak bonus · Commission: −60 · Omission: −15 · Correct rejection: +25

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`n_go`	Number of go trials
`n_nogo`	Number of no-go trials
`hits`	Correct responses to go stimuli
`omissions`	Missed go stimuli (omissions)
`commissions`	Incorrect responses to no-go stimuli (commission errors = failure of impulse control)
`hit_rate`	Hit rate: hits / n_go (0–1)
`omission_rate`	Omission rate: omissions / n_go (0–1)
`commission_rate`	Commission rate: commissions / n_nogo (0–1)
`mean_rt_ms`	Ø reaction time across all hits
`median_rt_ms`	Median of the hit RTs (more robust against outliers than the mean)
`sd_rt_ms`	Standard deviation of RT (ISD) – strongest clinical CPT signal, ADHD marker
`lapse_count`	Number of hits with RT > 2×median (attention lapses)
`commission_rt_ms`	Ø RT for commission errors (typically faster than hit RT = impulsive response)
`rt_block1_ms`	Ø RT in the first third of the session
`rt_block3_ms`	Ø RT in the last third of the session
`vigilance_decrement`	Vigilance decrement: rt_block3 − rt_block1 (positive = slowing towards the end of the session = vigilance decrement)
`post_error_rt_ms`	Ø RT of the trials immediately after an error (post-error slowing)
`streak_max`	Longest streak of hits without an error

Clinical interpretation: sd_rt_ms (ISD) The intra-individual standard deviation of reaction time is the strongest clinical signal of the CPT paradigm. High ISD values indicate inconsistent regulation of attention, with alternating fast and slow responses – a robust ADHD marker. Reference values: ≤ 80 ms good, ≤ 180 ms normal, above that suggestive of a problem.

Clinical interpretation: commission_rt_ms Commission errors in CPTs typically occur very quickly – faster than correct hits. This points to an impulsive response tendency: the player responds without fully processing the stimulus type. A low commission_rt_ms compared with mean_rt_ms is a sensitive indicator of impaired impulse control.

Clinical interpretation: lapse_count & vigilance_decrement lapse_count counts responses that are more than twice as slow as the median – attention lapses that are often associated with daydreaming or brief drops in vigilance. vigilance_decrement measures whether reaction time increases over the course of the session (fatigue-related decline). Both markers are frequently elevated in ADHD and are suitable as progress indicators.

Clinical interpretation: post_error_rt_ms Post-error slowing (slower response after an error) is a sign of adaptive self-regulation: after an error, the player becomes more cautious. If this pattern is absent (i.e. post_error_rt_ms ≈ mean_rt_ms), it may point to reduced error processing – a finding that is frequently described in ADHD.

🔬 Performance metrics (analysis of game performance)

Metric	Good	Normal	Explanation
Hit rate	≥ 92 %	≥ 78 %	Go stimuli detected
Commission rate	≤ 5 %	≤ 15 %	Response to no-go = impaired impulse control
ISD (RT-SD)	≤ 80 ms	≤ 180 ms	Variability of RT – ADHD marker
Median RT	≤ 300 ms	≤ 500 ms	Cognitive reaction speed
Vigilance decrement	≤ 30 ms	≤ 80 ms	Stable course vs. fatigue-related decline
Post-error slowing	– Info		Positive = normal adaptive behaviour; often absent in ADHD

Stored trial data (per trial)

Field	Meaning
`seq`	Sequential number of the trial within the session
`type`	`go` = go stimulus (⚡) · `nogo` = no-go stimulus (🛑)
`outcome`	`hit` = correct response to go · `omission` = go missed · `commission` = incorrect response to no-go · `correct_rejection` = no-go correctly ignored
`rt_ms`	Reaction time in ms (only for hit and commission; null otherwise)
`t_ms`	Time since session start

⚜️

Game 10 – Pfadfinder (Path Finder)

Spatial working memory · Visuo-spatial · Corsi span

Pfadfinder (Path Finder) is a visuospatial memory game modelled on the Corsi block test: on a grid of dots (3×3 → 4×4 → 5×5), the dots of a connected path light up one after another – each with its step number. The player then has to tap exactly this path in the correct order. As the level rises, the path gets longer and the display time shorter – from level 6 on, diagonal connections are added, and from level 12 on the path may also cross itself.

Clinical background

The Corsi block test is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing visuospatial working memory. The maximum error-free path length (Corsi span) is regarded as a direct measure of the spatial capacity of working memory. Children and adolescents with ADHD frequently show reduced Corsi spans and increased latencies in spatial recall – both are captured by Pfadfinder.

Max. path length (Corsi span): Longest correctly reproduced path – a capacity measure of spatial working memory. Norm for 15-year-olds: ≥ 5.
Accuracy: Share of correctly remembered rounds. < 50 % indicates a substantial weakness in spatial short-term memory.
Start latency (recall onset): Time between the end of the display sequence and the first tap – a measure of mental rotation / retrieval speed.
Ø Step time: Time per tapped cell – a measure of motor planning speed and decision confidence.

↶ Step back & manual confirmation: During the input phase, a ↶ Step back button appears directly below the playing field. It lets the player undo the most recently tapped step – even if all steps have already been entered. In that case the Done → button lights up green as a signal that all steps are filled – but it still has to be confirmed manually. This allows corrections up to the last moment before the result is scored.

Staircase difficulty adjustment: Pfadfinder uses the same adaptive staircase procedure as all FocusZone games: 2 errors → level down, 2 correct rounds → level up. This keeps the difficulty stable near the individual capacity limit and optimises the training effect.

Level progression

Level	Grid	Path length	Directions	Crossing	ms / step
1	3×3	3	H/V	no	580
2	3×3	3	H/V	no	548
3	3×3	4	H/V	no	516
4	3×3	4	H/V	no	484
5	4×4	5	H/V	no	452
6	4×4	5	H/V + diagonal	no	420
7	4×4	6	H/V + diagonal	no	388
8	4×4	6	H/V + diagonal	no	356
9	5×5	7	H/V + diagonal	no	324
10–11	5×5	7–8	H/V + diagonal	no	300
12+	5×5	8–max	H/V + diagonal	yes	300

Session: 20 rounds. Staircase: 2 correct → level+1 · 2 errors → level−1 (min. 1). H/V = horizontal/vertical. Diagonal = all 8 directions.

Stored trial data (per round)

Field	Meaning
`round`	Round number (1–20)
`level`	Current staircase level
`path_len`	Number of cells in the path
`grid`	Grid size: `"3x3"` (levels 1–4), `"4x4"` (levels 5–8) or `"5x5"` (level 9+)
`target_path`	Correct cell indices in order (e.g. `[2,7,11,15]`)
`user_path`	Cell indices tapped by the player
`first_error_at`	Index of the first error in user_path (null = correct)
`correct`	`true` if user_path === target_path
`recall_start_ms`	Latency until the first tap after the end of the display (ms)
`total_time_ms`	Total duration of the input phase (ms)
`t_ms`	Time since session start (ms)

Session summary

Metric	Meaning
`max_path_len`	Longest correctly remembered path – Corsi-span analogue, primary clinical measure
`accuracy`	Share of correct rounds (0–1)
`perfect_rounds`	Number of error-free rounds
`errors`	Number of rounds with errors
`avg_recall_start_ms`	Ø latency until the first tap – retrieval speed / mental rotation
`avg_step_time_ms`	Ø time per tap step – motor planning speed

🔬 Performance metrics (analysis of game performance)

Metric	Good	Normal	Explanation
Max. path length	≥ 6	≥ 4	Corsi span: norm for 15-year-olds ≥ 5; ≤ 3 = clearly reduced
Accuracy	≥ 75 %	≥ 50 %	Share of correct rounds over the session
Ø Start latency	≤ 800 ms	≤ 1500 ms	Fast retrieval = good spatial processing speed

📊 Admin Board – Evaluation

The admin board is available at admin.php?mandant=praxis-code and requires the administrator access set up by the platform. It offers four analysis tabs: Overview, Sessions, Comparison and Analysis.

Tenant URL Each practice has its own code (e. g. dr-meyer). Patients log in via focuszone.php?mandant=dr-meyer — the login then automatically shows the practice logo, applies the configured default theme and hides locked games on the server side. Practice admins reach their admin login via admin.php?mandant=dr-meyer, which also shows the practice logo. The mandant= parameter is not case-sensitive.

Overview tab

Progress charts (4 mini charts)

Each chart shows one metric across the most recent sessions of a game
The last 5 sessions are compared with the earliest half (trend arrows)
Green arrow up = improvement · Red arrow down = decline
Metrics: reaction time, accuracy, error rate, flip time (Memory), sequence length (Pattern)

Sessions tab

Date filter

Date pills appear when sessions exist across several days
Blue pills = date filter, green pills = game filter

Session entry

Shows date, time, game, score, level and duration
A daily note badge (📋) appears if a note was set for that day (medication, mood, etc.)
Clicking a session opens the detail view

Session detail view: KPI cards

Compact key figures of the session: mean reaction time, accuracy, inhibition rate, max. level, etc.
All values are already aggregated at session level and optimized for a quick overview

Ignore result (◎ / ⊘)

Each session row contains a ◎ button (active = ⊘, red background)
This marks a session as ignored – it is not deleted but stays visible in the list (greyed out, with an “ignored” badge)
Ignored sessions are not included in calculations: KPI cards, progress charts (Overview tab), Comparison tab, Analysis tab and all chart evaluations use only active (non-ignored) sessions
Typical use cases: test runs, aborted sessions, outliers caused by external disturbances
The status can be reversed at any time – clicking ⊘ again makes the session active once more

Trial chart (progress chart)

Each session shows a game-specific progress chart. All charts share the same basic logic:

X axis: Chronological course – each bar/dot = one round or one attempt
Yellow dashed line: Rolling accuracy (window of 4–5) – shows the trend
Golden vertical lines: Level changes within the session

Game	Y axis	Color coding	Special feature
🃏 Memory Storm	Reaction time (ms)	Green = match · Red = error	–
🥷 Zahlen-Ninja	Reaction time (ms)	Green/cyan/yellow = fast→slow · Red = error	✕ = timeout, ✗ = wrong input
💠 Pattern Catcher	Sequence length	Green = correct · Red = error	Red line = error position in the sequence
★ Focus Dash	Reaction time (ms)	Green/cyan/yellow = fast→slow	Circles = GO · Diamonds = NOGO · Red line = accuracy line
💡 Signal-Zähler	Target count per round	Green = exact · Yellow = ±1 · Red = error	Orange stripe at top = deception events (mismatch)
🧭 Pfeil-Zähler	Sequence length per round	Green = exact · Yellow = ±1 · Red = error	Yellow dots at top = number of direction changes
🔭 Sternen-Scanner DT	Visual accuracy (0–100 %)	Cyan = phase A · Green/red/yellow = phase C (good/poor/neutral)	Purple/red bars at bottom = tone errors · L = level of the round · dashed = phase boundary

Trial table

Lists every single attempt in chronological order
Golden separator rows show level changes over time
Memory Storm: emoji pair, reaction time, hit/error
Zahlen-Ninja: task text, correct answer, input (green/red), reaction time, error reason
Pattern Catcher: sequence length, target pattern, pattern entered, error position (marked red)
Focus Dash: type (GO/NOGO shape/NOGO color), color of the target, reaction time
Signal-Zähler: round number, level, target count, distractors, deception events, input, error, points
Pfeil-Zähler: round number, level, start number, correct final value, direction changes, input, error, points
Sternen-Scanner DT: phase (A/B/C), round number, level (phase C), visual accuracy, misclicks, tone target/actual, tone error, points

Comparison tab

Cross-player comparison

Shows all registered players side by side and compares their performance values per game
Only active (non-ignored) sessions are included in the comparison values
Helpful for assessing the progress of several users at a glance

Analysis tab

Statistical evaluation per game

For each game, the Analysis tab offers a compact statistical summary of all active sessions of the selected player.

Best / worst score: maximum and minimum across all active sessions
Median: middle value — more robust against outliers than the mean
Mean: arithmetic mean of all session scores
Max. level: highest difficulty level reached
Bar display: visualizes the position of the median within the min–max range

Trend & consistency

Trend: compares the last 5 sessions with the first 5 sessions — shows whether performance is rising, stable or falling
Consistency (CV%): coefficient of variation = standard deviation / mean × 100. Low = even performance, high = strong fluctuations

CV value	Rating
< 15 %	Very consistent
15–30 %	Consistent
30–50 %	Variable
> 50 %	Very variable

Overall rating

Combines trend and consistency into an overall verdict: Very good ⭐⭐⭐ / Good ⭐⭐ / Solid ⭐ / Needs attention ⚠
Cards with fewer than 3 sessions are greyed out and labeled “Not enough data” — with so few sessions the values are not statistically meaningful
The rating is an orienting progress indicator, not a diagnostic judgment

Interpretation: What do the values mean clinically?

Value	Clinical relevance
rt_sd (reaction time SD)	High SD = inconsistent attention, typical in ADHD. Low SD = stable, even concentration.
nogo_inhibition	Values below 0.8 (80%) can be taken as an indication of difficulties with impulse control. Clinical classification by a professional is required.
color_nogo_inhibition	Specific to conjunction inhibition (color + shape). Lower values than nogo_inhibition = color rules harder to retain.
Corsi span (max seq_len)	Age-appropriate for 15-year-olds: ≥ 5. Below 4 = possible indication of a visuospatial working memory weakness.
Course of rt_sd	If rt_sd is higher at the start of the session and lower towards the end: settling-in effect, to be seen as positive.
inhibition_failure (Zahlen-Ninja)	Shows that an automatic response impulse was not suppressed – Go/No-Go failure despite the task.
DT cost value (Sternen-Scanner DT)	Central progress indicator for divided attention. Values below −25% can be considered indicative. In ADHD-typical profiles one channel is often more affected – comparing both modalities can complement progress monitoring.
Tone counting accuracy (Sternen-Scanner DT)	Auditory working memory under dual-task conditions. Errors ≥ 3 in a round count as a poor round. Comparing phase B vs. phase C accuracy shows the pure dual-task effect on the auditory channel.

🔬 Analysis of game performance – detail view

Every session detail view contains a “Analysis of game performance” button. The detail view rates the session’s metrics on four levels and shows an overall verdict.

Rating levels

Level	Symbol	Meaning
Unremarkable ★	●	All core values in the upper reference range
Within reference range ✓	●	Values within the reference range, no notable indication
Noteworthy ~	●	Individual values just below the reference range – monitor progress
Indicative ⚠	●	Clear deviation – consultation with a professional recommended

The overall verdict is based on the worst single value. Metrics without a rating (grey “– Info”) are not included in the overall verdict.

Reference values per game

Note on the thresholds The values given are reference values derived from the literature on established neuropsychological paradigms. FocusZone is not a standardized or formally validated instrument — reliability, validity and norms for this implementation are not available. The values serve to monitor progress and can prompt a consultation with a professional, but they do not replace a clinical assessment.

★ Focus Dash

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Go hit rate	≥ 90 %	≥ 75 %	≥ 64 %	Primary accuracy marker
NoGo inhibition	≥ 90 %	≥ 75 %	≥ 64 %	Strongest ADHD marker
Median reaction time	≤ 600 ms	≤ 1000 ms	≤ 1300 ms	Incl. mouse movement time; median more robust than mean
RT variability (SD)	≤ 100 ms	≤ 220 ms	≤ 286 ms	Strongest clinical signal – consistency of attention
Fastest 10 % (P10)	— information only, no rating —			Cleanest cognitive RT estimate (cursor close to the target)

🧠 Memory Storm

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Max. level (working memory span)	≥ 7	≥ 5	≥ 3	Primary indicator – highest level reached before the end of the session
Pair accuracy of completed levels	≥ 82 %	≥ 65 %	≥ 55 %	Only trials from fully completed levels (excluding the ceiling level) – corresponds to `accuracy_completed`

The game always ends at the ceiling level (the last level that was no longer passed). The pair accuracy of the ceiling level is therefore not included, since failing there is inherent to the design and not clinically meaningful.

🥷 Zahlen-Ninja

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Calculation accuracy	≥ 88 %	≥ 70 %	≥ 60 %	Primary evaluation value – central progress indicator
Median response time	— information only, no rating —			RT includes block fall time + level-dependent task difficulty; not suitable as a performance metric

💠 Pattern Catcher

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Max. sequence length (Corsi span)	≥ 7 cells	≥ 5 cells	≥ 4 cells	Age-appropriate for 15-year-olds: ≥ 5
Pattern precision	≥ 80 %	≥ 60 %	≥ 51 %	Share of sequences reproduced completely correctly

💡 Signal-Zähler

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Hit rate (±0 or ±1)	≥ 82 %	≥ 60 %	≥ 51 %	Share of rounds with at most 1 counting error
Mean counting error per round	≤ 0.8	≤ 2.0	≤ 2.6	Average deviation from the correct signal value
Distractor effect	≤ 8 %	≤ 28 %	≤ 36 %	Performance drop caused by distractor stimuli (0 = no effect)

🧭 Pfeil-Zähler

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Exact rate (error 0–1)	≥ 70 %	≥ 45 %	≥ 38 %	Share of rounds with counting error 0 or 1
Mean counting error per round	≤ 1.2	≤ 2.8	≤ 3.6	Average deviation from the correct final value
Switch effect	≤ 0.8	≤ 2.5	≤ 3.3	Performance drop at direction changes – > 2.5 to be considered indicative

🔭 Sternen-Scanner DT

Metric	Good	Normal	Borderline	Note
Visual single (phase A)	≥ 80 %	≥ 65 %	≥ 55 %	Baseline – without tone distraction
Tone single (phase B)	≥ 85 %	≥ 70 %	≥ 60 %	Baseline – without visual distraction
Visual dual (phase C)	≥ 75 %	≥ 55 %	≥ 47 %	Visual under dual-task load
Tone dual (phase C)	≥ 80 %	≥ 60 %	≥ 51 %	Auditory under dual-task load
DT cost visual	≤ 10 %	≤ 25 %	≤ 33 %	Drop: dual minus single; 0 % = no effect
DT cost auditory	≤ 10 %	≤ 25 %	≤ 33 %	Central progress indicator – often conspicuous in ADHD-typical profiles
Max. level phase C	— information only, no rating —			Adaptive difficulty level, not a norm value

⚕️ Supplementary training — not a substitute for diagnosis or therapy FocusZone is designed as an accompanying training program. The platform supports an existing treatment and enables longitudinal documentation of progress — it replaces neither a full neuropsychological assessment nor a therapeutic intervention. For a clinical diagnosis or treatment decision, a professional (physician, psychologist, therapist) must always be consulted.

⚙ Practice settings

The Practice settings section is located in the left sidebar of the admin board. Changes affect your own practice only. After every change, click Save.

Configurable fields

Tenant code (link shortcut): URL slug of the practice (e.g. dr-meyer). It changes both the patient login link and the admin login link at the same time. It is automatically converted to lowercase and URL-safe characters.
Default theme: 🌙 Dark or ☀️ Light — applies as the default for patients who arrive via the practice link and have not yet chosen a theme of their own
Login image (URL): URL of an image shown above the login form — ideal for the practice logo
Logo link (URL): Where the logo on the login page links to (e.g. the practice website)
Address: Street & house number, postal code, city — shown in the practice pill on the FocusZone start page when patients log in via the tenant link
Phone: Contact number of the practice (also visible in the practice pill)

Active games (default for all patients)

Below the address fields there is a grid of checkboxes for all 9 games. On the FocusZone start page (focuszone.php), deactivated games are hidden on the server side for all patients of this practice — they are not visible in the source code either. This setting is the default; it can be overridden individually for single patients (→ Patient management).

Checkbox active (✓) = game visible and playable
Checkbox inactive = game hidden for all patients of this practice (default setting)

Light/dark theme

Order of priority of the theme

1. Per-tenant user choice: If the user has switched manually on a tenant page, this choice is respected on the next visit to exactly this tenant
2. Tenant default: If there is no manual override, the default theme stored in the practice settings applies
3. Global user value: Without a tenant parameter, the most recently chosen global theme applies
4. Dark (default): If nothing has been set yet

The theme toggle button (☀️/🌙) at the bottom right of every page switches immediately and saves the choice. On tenant pages, a tenant-specific value is saved in addition.

👤 Patient management

In the admin board, clicking a patient in the left sidebar opens the detail view. Above the game cards there are three management areas.

Edit master data (✏)

Next to the patient's name there is a small ✏ symbol. Clicking it opens the master data panel:

Name: Display name (max. 30 characters, must be unique)
Date of birth: Shown in the Overview tab as an age indication (e.g. "12.05.2010 · 15 y."). Basis for the GDPR parental consent at registration.
Email: Optional, must be unique. Used for the Gravatar avatar.

After saving, name and email are updated immediately in all statistics tables.

Game activation per patient

Directly below the master data is the section 🎮 Game activation. Here the practice's default configuration can be overridden for a single patient.

Practice default (no override): The patient sees exactly the games that are activated in the practice settings. The label reads Practice default (grey text). For games that are deactivated by the practice default, the note (Practice default: off) appears.
Individual setting: As soon as Save is clicked, the chosen configuration applies only to this patient — independent of the practice default. The status changes to individual setting.
↺ Practice default: Resets the individual setting — the patient then inherits the practice's default configuration again.

Server-side filtering When focuszone.php is loaded, the games are filtered on the server side based on the login cookie. Deactivated tiles are not visible in the browser source code — there is no client-side hide/show that could be bypassed.

📖 Glossary

Term	Explanation
Go/No-Go	Paradigm in which the person should respond to certain stimuli (Go) and not respond to others (No-Go). Measures response inhibition / impulse control.
Inhibitory control	Ability to suppress automatic or impulsive responses. Core function of the prefrontal cortex.
Conjunction task	Task in which several features (here: colour AND shape) must be taken into account at the same time.
Corsi block test	Standardised test of visuospatial short-term memory. Measures the Corsi span (maximum sequence length that can be reproduced correctly).
Reaction time (RT)	Time between the appearance of a stimulus and the motor response to it, measured in milliseconds.
RT-SD	Standard deviation of the reaction time. Measure of the consistency / variability of the response.
Percentile (p10)	10th percentile: The reaction time value below which 10% of all measurements lie – corresponds to the fastest responses.
Rolling accuracy	Accuracy calculated over a sliding window of 5 consecutive trials. Shows local trends during the course of the game.
Working memory	Short-term temporary storage and manipulation of information. Trained in Memory Storm and Pattern Catcher, among others.
Selective attention	Ability to filter relevant information out of a set of stimuli and to ignore irrelevant ones.
Sustained attention	Ability to stay focused on a task over a longer period of time (vigilance).
Divided attention	Simultaneous processing of several sources of information (e.g. auditory + visual). Opposite of focused attention.
Cognitive flexibility	Ability to switch mentally between rules, strategies or tasks (task switching). Trained by frequent changes of direction in the Pfeil-Zähler (Arrow Counter).
Task switching	Specific aspect of cognitive flexibility: switching from one mental task to another. Coping with every change of direction in the Pfeil-Zähler (Arrow Counter) requires task switching.
Mismatch (Signal-Zähler)	Event in which the tone and the visual symbol do not coincide in time. Tempts the player into wrong counts. The share rises from 8% (level 4) to 38% (level 9).
Switch effect (Pfeil-Zähler)	Difference in counting accuracy between rounds with many vs. few changes of direction. A high value = cognitive flexibility is the bottleneck.
Staircase procedure	Adaptive difficulty procedure: 2 consecutive correct answers → level up, 2 errors → level down. Keeps the player in the optimal learning zone at all times.
Dual-task cost	Central progress indicator of Sternen-Scanner DT. Calculated as dual-task performance minus single-task performance (negative values = decline). Values below −25% can be regarded as indicative of impairments of divided attention.
Sternen-Scanner DT	Dual-task paradigm: searching for symbol pairs (visual) AND counting tones (auditory) at the same time. Baseline phases (A and B) allow the dual-task cost to be calculated.
Visual hit rate	Share of correctly clicked target symbol pairs out of the total number of targets in a round. Evaluated separately for single-task (phase A) and dual-task (phase C).
Resource competition	Competition of two simultaneous tasks for the same limited cognitive capacity. Leads to performance losses in one or both tasks – measurable as dual-task cost.

🏥 Professional access

Therapists, physicians and psychologists receive their own practice admin access to the protected evaluation area. This is set up by the super admin.

What practice admins can see and do

Complete session logs of all patients of their own practice with all metrics
Progress charts over several weeks (Overview tab)
Player comparison and highscore overview (Comparison tab)
Statistical analysis per player and game (Analysis tab)
Analysis of game performance per session with rating levels
Mark sessions as not representative (ignore/reactivate)
Edit their own practice settings (theme, logo, address, tenant code)
Set the game default for their own practice (which of the 9 games are visible)
Edit master data of individual patients (name, date of birth, email)
Individually override the game activation per patient
Manage new patient accounts

Setting up access Please send requests by email to [email protected] with a short note on the setup and the treatment context. Login is then done at admin.php?mandant=praxis-code — the page shows the stored practice logo and the configured default theme.

FocusZone · ruthner.at · As of May 2026