Reliability of the Chinese Version of the Trail Making Test and Stroop Color and Word Test among Older Adults

Abstract

Summary Background Both Trail Making Test (TMT) and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) are the most popular neuropsychological tests for assessing executive function. This study aimed to examine alternate form reliability of the Chinese version of the TMT Part B (C-TMT-B) and test-retest reliability of the Chinese version of the TMT and SCWT among older adults. Methods Twenty participants were recruited in the alternate form reliability study and another 20 participants were recruited in the test-retest reliability study. Original version of the TMT-A and TMT-B and the Chinese version of the TMT-B and SCWT were used as the measurement tools. A retest was conducted 3–7 days later to assess its reliability. The reliability of tests was estimated with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates and their 95% confident intervals. Results The alternate form reliability of C-TMT-B was moderate to excellent with ICC of 0.89 and 95% confident interval of 0.63–0.96. Test-retest reliability coefficients for TMT-A, C-TMT-B, C-SCWT with congruous condition, and C-SCWT with incongruous condition were estimated as 0.82, 0.93, 0.91, and 0.91, respectively. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the Chinese version of the TMT and SCWT are reliable instruments for measuring executive function among older adults.