The Trail Making Test (TMT) is primarily a test of motor speed and visual attention. In Trail Making, Part A, the subject's task is to quickly draw lines on a page connecting 25 consecutive numbers. In Part B, the subject must draw the lines alternating between numbers and letters. To determine what makes Part B harder than Part A, variations of the standard Trail Making Test were assessed. Forty college students (20 male, 20 female) were given four forms of the Trail Making Test. The results show that Trail Making, Part B with just numbers took longer to complete than the standard Part A with numbers. Part B is 56 cm longer and has more visually interfering stimuli than Part A. These results indicate that Part B is more difficult than Part A not only because it is a more difficult cognitive task, but also because of its increased demands in motor speed and visual search.

Speed of information processing was assessed in patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls using both an auditory and visual task designed to control for accuracy of performance across groups. After controlling for accuracy of performance, patients with multiple sclerosis were found to have significantly slower speed of information processing relative healthy controls, irrespective of the modality of stimulus presentation (auditory or visual). When given an adequate amount of time to process information, however, the patients performed similarly to controls. These results suggest that persons with multiple sclerosis experience deficits specifically in processing speed but not performance accuracy. Results are discussed in terms of rehabilitative guidelines for the cognitive improvement of persons with multiple sclerosis.

This study examined whether verbal and visual memory impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS) are attributable to deficits in acquisition, storage, or retrieval. Volunteers with MS (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 20) rehearsed a word list and a checkerboard pattern using a selective reminding procedure until two consecutive error-free trials were attained. Recall and recognition were assessed after 30 min and 90 min (and 1 week for verbal material) delays. The MS group required significantly more trials to attain criterion on both learning tests. Once equated for acquisition, both groups performed similarly on verbal recall and recognition. However the MS group performed significantly worse on measures of visual recall and recognition. The results suggest that the verbal memory impairment in MS is due to deficient acquisition, while the visual memory impairment in MS is attributable to deficits in acquisition and storage.

Considerable evidence indicates that cognitive dysfunction and impairments in everyday life activities are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the relationship between these cognitive and functional deficits has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cognitive dysfunction in the functional status of individuals with MS. Participants were 74 adults with MS and 35 healthy comparison participants (HCs) who underwent neuropsychological testing and completed the Executive Functions Performance Test (EFPT; Baum, Morrison, Hahn, & Edwards, 2003), an objective measure of everyday life activities. Between-groups comparisons and correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between cognition and functional capacity. Significant differences in EFPT performance were revealed between individuals with MS with and without cognitive impairment and HCs. In individuals with MS, performance on cognitive constructs was related to performance on the EFPT. Furthermore, a linear regression model comprised of indices of cognitive functioning explained a significant portion of the variance in everyday life activities. Findings suggest that individuals with and without cognitive impairment differ in functional status and that aspects of cognition are predictive of functional status in MS.