Relationship between a Simplified Version of the Trail Making Test and the Japanese Version of the Trail Making Test

Abstract

[Purpose] We investigated the relationship between a simplified version of the trail making test (S-TMT) and the Japanese version of the trail making test (J-TMT). [Subjects] Twenty-nine elderly people and 18 healthy young people were enrolled in this study. [Methods] We calculated times of TMT part A and part B and the ratio of TMT using S-TMT and J-TMT and then compared the two tests. [Results] The time of TMT and the ratio of TMT showed moderate correlations between the two tests. Although the time of S-TMT was significantly shorter than the time of J-TMT, the ratio of TMT did not show a difference between the two tests. [Conclusion] S-TMT takes only a few minutes and has a moderate correlation with J-TMT. These results suggest that S-TMT may be clinically useful as an evaluation of attention.