‘Trails B or not Trails B?’ Is attention-switching a useful outcome measure?

Abstract

Primary objective: Difficulties with attention contribute to behavioural and cognitive problems during childhood and may reflect subtle deficits in executive functioning (EF). Attention problems in early childhood have also been found to predict higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms at 10 years old. It has also been reported that attention problems during childhood may be differentially related to later-emerging distinct EF difficulties. Many of these findings, however, rely on teacher-ratings of attention difficulties.Methods and procedures: This study administered neuropsychological tests of attention-switching and EF to 67 healthy children aged 9–15 years of age. It additionally measured socio-emotional behavioural functioning.Main outcomes and results: A critical phase of improvement was found at 10 years of age. Correlations were found between attention-switching skills and EF. Attention-switching skills were also correlated with socio-emotional functioning.Conclusions: Attention-switching skills have some interdependence with EF, but in paediatric assessment such skills are easier to routinely assess than many of the currently available tests of EF. It is suggested that attention-switching ability may prove to be a useful predictor of EF performance in understanding long-term outcome after a neurological event such as traumatic brain injury.