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Trail Making Test error analysis in classic motor neuron disease

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Abstract

The use of non-traditional scores in neuropsychological assessment allows for pattern analysis of test performance, commonly referred to as Quantified Process Approach (QPA). In the present study, the QPA was taken to study error rates on the Trail Making Test (TMT) in 26 non-demented patients with classic motor neuron disease (cMND), who commonly present with impaired cognitive flexibility, and 26 matched healthy controls. Between-group comparisons revealed that cMND patients exhibited higher total error rates on the TMT Part B (TMT-B) relative to controls (p < 0.001), though no significant associations were noted between TMT errors and measures of attention and executive function obtained using the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Digit Symbol and Digit Span subtests and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Moreover, the percentage of cMND patients with normal TMT-B time-to-completion who committed at least one error (either sequential or perseverative errors) in TMT-B was significantly higher compared to controls (p = 0.005). These findings suggest that error analysis using the QPA may increase the clinical utility of TMT and should be considered in addition to time-to-completion scores, in the neuropsychological assessment of patients with cMND.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Roozbeh Rezaie for proofreading and editorial comments. They also express their appreciation to anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier version and thank the participants of the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychological Lab, A’ Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Avenue, 115 28, Athens, Greece

    Foteini Christidi & Ioannis Zalonis

  2. A’ Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece

    Evangelia Kararizou, Nikolaos I. Triantafyllou & George P. Paraskevas

Authors
  1. Foteini Christidi
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  2. Evangelia Kararizou
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  3. Nikolaos I. Triantafyllou
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  4. George P. Paraskevas
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  5. Ioannis Zalonis
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Correspondence to Foteini Christidi.

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Christidi, F., Kararizou, E., Triantafyllou, N.I. et al. Trail Making Test error analysis in classic motor neuron disease. Neurol Sci 34, 1367–1374 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1243-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1243-2

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