Decomposition of the Trail Making Test - Reliability and Validity of a Computer Assisted Method for Data Collection

Abstract

The present study describes the use of computer assisted software to decompose the Trail Making Test. The study shows that this methodology is reliable and produces data comparable to those which are produced using pencil and paper forms. Additionally, it confirms that particular sections of the Trail Making Test provide incremental validity for the assessment of executive functions as measured by the Verbal Fluency and Five Point Tests. The present study suggests that the adaptation of computer assisted testing to clinical practice is an important evolutionary step as it provides clinicians with higher resolution for traditional measures and discerns the multiple cognitive operations within them, allowing for the identification of nonspecific error variance that impacts test performance.