A Preliminary Study on the Trail-Making Test in Arabic–English Bilingual Young Adults

Abstract

The Trail-Making Test (TMT) is used in different neuropsychological test batteries. It consists of two parts: TMT-Part A, which tests visual scanning and psychomotor speed, and TMT-Part B, which assesses more complex cognitive processes. TMT normative data have been established in many non-Arab countries either using the original English version or a version developed with the native language. The aim of this study was to compare TMT performance between the English TMT and a constructed Arabic TMT in young Arabic–English bilingual college students from three Arabian Gulf states. Scores from 83 participants who took the English TMT and 52 who took the Arabic TMT were included. Arabic TMT (both parts) scores were significantly poorer compared with English TMT scores. Arabic TMT scores were also poorer than were other norms for this age group and education level, but they were better than those reported from another study using the Arabic TMT. Moreover, there were nonsignificant differences in performance between participants from these three countries; however, these findings are inconclusive as sample sizes were small. These findings suggest that Arabic TMT norms cannot be unified for all Arabic countries, and separate Arabic TMT norms including all age groups and education levels must be established for each Arabic country.