Trail Making Test: Normative data for the Latin American Spanish-speaking pediatric population

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a widely used neuropsychological assessment.
• Establishing normative data is crucial for accurate interpretation in pediatric populations.
• Previous TMT normative data for Spanish-speaking children are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate comprehensive normative data for the Trail Making Test (TMT) in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations.
• To provide updated and culturally relevant TMT norms for child neuropsychological assessments.
• To facilitate more accurate interpretation of TMT performance in diverse Latin American and Spanish children.

Main Methods:

• A large sample of 3,337 healthy children from nine Latin American countries and Spain participated.
• Participants completed the TMT as part of a broader neuropsychological evaluation.
• Normative scores were established using multiple linear regressions, considering age, age squared, sex, and parental education level (MLPE).

Main Results:

• Age significantly impacted TMT performance, with older children completing the test faster.
• Non-linear effects of age (age squared) were observed in most countries for TMT-A and TMT-B.
• Higher parental education (MLPE >12 years) was associated with faster TMT completion times in specific countries.
• Sex influenced TMT-A scores, with boys generally performing faster than girls in certain regions.

Conclusions:

• This study represents the largest global effort to establish TMT normative data for Spanish-speaking children.
• The generated norms will significantly enhance the accuracy of TMT interpretation by neuropsychologists in these regions.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering demographic factors like age, education, and sex in pediatric TMT assessments.