Performance of the walking trail making test in older adults with white matter hyperintensities

• DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i1.102
• Publication Date: 2024-01-19T07:15:44Z
• Authors: Hong-Yi Zhao; Zhi-Qiang Zhang; Yong-Hua Huang; Hong Li; Fang-Yuan Wei
• Keywords: Trail Making Test; Verbal fluency test; Cadence; Neuropsychological test

BACKGROUND Several studies have reported that the walking trail making test (WTMT) completion time is significantly higher in patients with developmental coordination disorders and mild cognitive impairments. We hypothesized WTMT performance would be altered older adults white matter hyperintensities (WMH). AIM To explore people WMH. METHODS In this single-center, observational study, 25 elderly WMH admitted to our hospital from June 2019 2020 served as group 20 participants matched for age, gender, educational level who were undergoing physical examination during same period control group. The completed WTMT-A WTMT-B obtain their gait parameters, including time, speed, step length, cadence, stance phase percent. White lesions scored according Fazekas scale. Multiple neuropsychological assessments carried out assess function. relationships between cognition motion analyzed by partial Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS Patients performed worse on choice reaction (CRT) (0.51 ± 0.09 s vs 0.44 0.06 s, P = 0.007), verbal fluency (VFT, 14.2 2.75 16.65 3.54, 0.012), digit symbol substitution (16.00 18.40 3.27, 0.010) than also required more complete (93.00 10.76 70.55 11.28 < 0.001) (109.72 12.26 82.85 7.90 0.001). was positively correlated CRT (r 0.460, 0.001), while negatively VFT -0.391, 0.008). On WTMT-A, only speed found statistically differ groups (0.803 0.096 0.975 0.050 m/s, whereas WTMT-B, exhibited a lower (0.778 0.111 0.970 0.053 cadence (82.600 4.140 85.500 5.020 steps/m, 0.039), well percentage (65.061 1.813% 63.513 2.465%, 0.019) relative controls. CONCLUSION Older showed obviously poorer performance. could potential indicator motor deficits