Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2013 , Vol 16, Issue 1
TRAIL MAKING TEST: PREDICTIVE VALIDITY STUDY ON TURKISH PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER DEMENTIA
Banu CANGÖZ1, Serpil DEMİRCİ2, Sait ULUÇ1
1Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Psikoloji ANKARA
2Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroloji Anabilim Dalı ISPARTA
Introduction: The Trail Making Test is a widely used test that assesses executive functions such as visual tracking, psychomotor speed, complex attention and mental flexibility. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of the TMT in AD patients.

Materials and Method: The study group covers 50 subjects with AD and 50 healthy subjects. The mean age was 73.98 years in AD group and 74.74 years in control group. The mean scores that were obtained from 8 subscores of the TMT were compared between both groups.

Results: The TMT Time A, Time B, Time A+B, Time B-A, Correction B, Error A and Error B scores were significantly different between two groups. The estimated cut-off values for Time A, Time B, Time A+B, and Time B-A are 108 sec, 240 sec, 356 sec, and 112 sec, respectively.

Conclusion: It is known that both parts of TMT are sensitive to progressive cognitive decline. It is suggested that Part A and B may differentiate demented from normal persons and Part B may detect early stages of the AD. Our results were in accordance with related literature, and revealed that the TMT is a valid a psychometric instrument in assessing Turkish AD patients. Keywords : Alzheimer Disease; Dementia; Neuropsychological Tests