Neurocognitive correlates of the trail making test for older children in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Studies have found that processing speed and working memory influence performance on the Trail Making Test (TMT), though little research is available in this regard for the TMT for Children (TMT-C), particularly in clinical populations. The purpose of the present study was to examine cognitive mechanisms that are thought to underline performance on the TMT-C in a sample of children who sustained traumatic brain injury. Sixty-one children and adolescents with moderate to severe brain injuries completed the TMT-C and performed a battery of neuropsychological tests. Regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between cognitive constructs and TMT-C performance. Results indicated that processing speed predicted Trails A performance while backwards span tasks predicted Trails B performance. These findings corroborate with previous studies and provide evidence of the mechanisms that underlie TMT-C performance in brain injured children.