The Trail Making Test and its neurobehavioral components

Abstract

This study investigates the neurobehavioral components involved in Trail Making Test (TMT; Parts A and B) performance and their relation to MMPI–2 measures of anxiety and depression. Consecutive patients (N = 192) referred for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center comprised the sample. Results: graphomotor speed and mental shifting were significantly associated with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition (WAIS–III) indexes, whereas visual scanning efficiency was not. Graphomotor speed accounted for a substantially greater portion of the variance in TMT performance within impaired than within normal groups. Levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were unrelated to TMT performance. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords:

• Trail Making Test
• Executive function
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Neuropsychological assessment