OBJECTIVES: To investigate intermanual differences in the Japanese version of the Trail Making Test (JTMT) and to investigate whether a mirror version of the JTMT test sheet (JTMT-M) should be used when the task is performed with the nondominant hand. DESIGN: Intermanual differences were compared among the JTMT with the dominant hand, the JTMT with the nondominant hand, and the JTMT-M with the nondominant hand. SETTING: Rehabilitation center in a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 150 persons (age range, 19-38y) who had no history of neurologic or musculoskeletal impairment. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The time to complete the task. RESULTS: Nondominant hand performance on the JTMT and JTMT-M did not differ significantly from that of the dominant hand on the JTMT. All left hand data except 1 in each task were within the previously reported reference values obtained from the JTMT with the right hand. CONCLUSIONS: The nondominant hand can be used as an alternative in the JTMT and can be expected to perform comparably to the dominant hand. There is no need to use the JTMT-M even when the task is conducted with the nondominant hand.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate intermanual differences in the Japanese version of the Trail Making Test (JTMT) and to investigate whether a mirror version of the JTMT test sheet (JTMT-M) should be used when the task is performed with the nondominant hand. DESIGN: Intermanual differences were compared among the JTMT with the dominant hand, the JTMT with the nondominant hand, and the JTMT-M with the nondominant hand. SETTING: Rehabilitation center in a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 150 persons (age range, 19-38y) who had no history of neurologic or musculoskeletal impairment. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The time to complete the task. RESULTS: Nondominant hand performance on the JTMT and JTMT-M did not differ significantly from that of the dominant hand on the JTMT. All left hand data except 1 in each task were within the previously reported reference values obtained from the JTMT with the right hand. CONCLUSIONS: The nondominant hand can be used as an alternative in the JTMT and can be expected to perform comparably to the dominant hand. There is no need to use the JTMT-M even when the task is conducted with the nondominant hand.