title: Evidence of practice effects in variants of the Trail Making Test during serial assessment.
abstract: Practice effects often obscure detection of meaningful intraindividual cognitive change in serial assessment. The Trail Making Test and four of its variants (i.e., Trail Making Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System, Comprehensive Trail Making Test, Connections Task, and Planned Connections) were administered to college-aged participants over a 3-week period with 7 days separating each session. Linear growth analysis yielded statistically significant average change in slope across time periods at the p < .05 level for each of the five instruments. The results raise concern about clinical interpretations based upon repeated use of each instrument in serial assessment.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Psychology Department, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA. buck1444@mail.plattsburgh.edu
authors.forename: Kristen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Jeanne P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D014145:Trail Making Test; D055815:Young Adult