The oral trail making test: effects of age and concurrent validity

Abstract

The oral version of the Trail Making Test (OTMT) is a neuropsychological measure that provides an assessment of sequential set-shifting without the motor and visual demands of the written TMT (WTMT). Originally purposed to serve as an oral analog of the WTMT, the OTMT provides a means to evaluate patients with physical restrictions. However, formal validity studies and available normative data remain sparse. In a sample of healthy adults (n = 81), a strong correlation was observed between OTMT-B and its written counterpart (r = .62), but the correlations were weak between OTMT-A and either written version of the TMT. OTMT-B was significantly correlated with age but not with education or gender, whereas OTMT-A was not significantly correlated with demographic factors. The WTMT to OTMT ratios observed in the current study were generally lower than previously reported and varied across age groups, suggesting that the recommended use of a uniform conversion factor to predict one performance based on the other should be cautiously undertaken. Normative data that have been stratified by age are provided as well as suggestions for using both versions of the TMT in tandem to better elucidate the nature of cognitive deficits and to aid in the localization of cerebral dysfunction.