Trail Making Test (TMT): Visual Attention Assessment
The Trail Making Test is a pen-and-paper task that measures visual attention and mental flexibility. Doctors use it to screen for cognitive decline in patients with dementia or brain injury.

Trail Making Test (TMT)
The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a popular neuropsychological tool used to assess visual attention and task-switching speed. By asking patients to connect dots in sequence, this pen-and-paper assessment helps doctors identify cognitive impairments, including dementia and deficits from brain injuries.
Category
Disease
Source
What is Trail Making Test (TMT)
The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a trusted tool for checking brain function. It helps clinicians spot problems with visual attention and mental flexibility. This assessment consists of two distinct parts. Part A asks patients to connect numbers in order, and Part B requires switching between numbers and letters. Scoring relies heavily on the time taken to complete each trail. Faster times usually point to better cognitive performance. Errors are also recorded to check for impulsivity. It measures visual search speed plus executive functioning skills effectively. It is often used to screen for dementia or check recovery after a stroke. The simple paper and pencil format makes it easy to administer in clinics or hospitals. It is a handy way to track changes over time. This test gives valuable insight into a patient's ability to handle complex tasks in daily life.
The Trail Making Test can be scored using two main approaches: raw completion time and derived indices. 1. Raw Time: You record the total seconds taken to finish Part A and Part B. Since the examiner corrects errors as they happen, mistakes naturally add to the final time. These results are then compared to age adjusted norms to spot issues. 2. Derived Scores: To isolate mental flexibility from motor speed, clinicians often subtract the Part A time from Part B or look at the ratio. This helps pinpoint specific executive function deficits.
Advantages
Enables precise identification of patient health status.
Streamlines research data gathering process.
Serves diverse clinical needs effectively.
Meets international clinical assessment requirements.
Related Instruments
Screens for neuropathic pain components.
Predicts long-term disability risk in musculoskeletal pain.
Assesses symptoms and function in lumbar spinal stenosis.
Collect Trail Making Test data with WeGuide, the all in one patient engagement platform

Support Your patient in no time - all under your own brand
Our platform combines the knowledge of 100+ digital health solutions built, letting you easily build your patient engagement app for research or clinical use. Collect PROMs, support patients on waiting lists, or gather vital signs data. This is how:
Learn MoreProgram Builder
.png)
Whitelabelling
Turn on components, dependent on your usecase
Support The Full Journey
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
It’s your turn
Every WeGuide project, saves researchers and clinicians - 9 months and $450,000 - creating impactful digital health solutions.

