TITLE:
Validation of the Trail Making Test B for the Cognitive Assessment of Patients with Cancer in Palliative Care
AUTHORS:
Juliano dos Santos, Cibele Andrucioli de Mattos Pimenta, Geana Paula Kurita, Patrícia Emília Braga, Per Sjøgren
KEYWORDS:
Cognition, Executive Function, Hospice Care, Neoplasms, Neuropsychological Tests, Validation Studies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Statistics,
Vol.4 No.6,
August
27,
2014
ABSTRACT: Introduction:
Cognitive impairment is common in patients with cancer; however, studies examining
the adaptation and validation of instruments for use in patients with cancer
are scarce. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the Trail Making
Test B (TMT-B) for use in patients with cancer. Methods: Ninety-four
outpatients receiving palliative treatment and 39 healthy companions were
assessed. Patients were tested with the TMT-B and answered questions regarding
the presence and intensity of pain, fatigue, quality of sleep, anxiety, and
depression, at two time points with a 7-day inter-assessment interval. Results:
The instrument discriminated between patients, who were slower, and healthy
companions with respect to the time required to complete the test, but not in
terms of the number of errors. The test was stable for the healthy companions
across the two assessments in terms of time to complete the TMT-B and the
number of errors; for patients, the instrument was stable only for the number
of errors. Performance on the TMT-B did not correlate with pain, fatigue,
depression, anxiety, or sensation of rest. Conclusions: TMT-B cannot be
considered fully validated. Further studies incorporating and comparing other
instruments evaluating executive function and mental flexibility are needed.