CTMT–2 Dissertation: Assessing Attentional Deficits in Children and Adolescents

Research brief

Accurate assessment of attentional deficits matters for diagnosis and treatment planning in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and adolescents. Boyle, Eugene (2024) investigated whether the Comprehensive Trail Making Test-Second Edition (CTMT-2) is a useful tool for evaluating those deficits (Boyle, 2024).

This brief summarizes the dissertation abstract for LinkedIn, search, and answer engines. It is not a substitute for the full ProQuest / ResearchGate text.

Study overview

Measures

These companion measures were selected for established validity and reliability in assessing cognitive abilities, inattention symptoms, and attentional capacities in this age group (Boyle, 2024).

Hypotheses

The study hypothesized that CTMT-2 performance would be significantly associated with:

1. Cognitive abilities (WISC-V)
2. Inattention ratings (CAt-C)
3. Attention presentation scores (TEA-Ch2)

Analyses included correlation and multiple regression with age and student grade level, WISC-V cognitive abilities, CAt-C Inattention Rating scores, and TEA-Ch2 composite scores.

Key findings

From the dissertation abstract (Boyle, 2024):

• Significant correlations between CTMT-2 performance and:
  • WISC-V Processing Speed Index (PSI) scores
  • TEA-Ch2 Selective Attention Index scores
  • TEA-Ch2 Everyday Attention Index scores
• Multiple regression: CTMT-2 trails significantly predicted PSI scores, TEA-Ch2 Selective Attention Index scores, and TEA-Ch2 Everyday Attention Index scores.
• Overall, findings support the CTMT-2’s utility in assessing selective attention, everyday attention, and processing speed abilities in this school-aged sample.

Clinical implications

The abstract concludes that the CTMT-2 can be a valuable supplemental tool in comprehensive assessment of attentional deficits in children and adolescents. Future research should examine diverse clinical samples and whether CTMT-2 results can inform targeted interventions for attentional difficulties (Boyle, 2024).

Educational summary only—not a clinical protocol, diagnostic rule-out, or substitute for a full neuropsychological evaluation.

Abstract (author text)

Boyle, Eugene. (2024). Investigating the Utility of the Comprehensive Trail Making Test -Second Edition (CTMT-2) in Assessing Attentional Deficits Among Children and Adolescents. The accurate assessment of attentional deficits is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment planning of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, and the Comprehensive Trail Making Test-Second Edition (CTMT-2) has shown promise as a tool for evaluating these deficits. The present study aimed to assess the relationships between CTMT-2 performance and cognitive abilities, attentional deficits, and attentional capacities in school-aged children and adolescents (N = 30), aged 8-15. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V), Clinical Assessment of Attention Deficit-Child (CAt-C), and Test of Everyday Attention for Children-Second Edition (TEA-Ch2) were selected as measures due to their established validity and reliability in assessing cognitive abilities, inattention symptoms, and attentional capacities, respectively, in this population. It was hypothesized that CTMT-2 performance would be significantly associated with cognitive abilities as measured by the WISC-V, inattention ratings on the CAt-C, and attention presentation scores on the TEA-Ch2. CTMT-2 performance was analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses with age and student grade levels, WISC-V cognitive abilities, CAt-C Inattention Rating scores, and TEA-Ch2 composite scores. The study yielded significant correlations between CTMT-2 performance and WISC-V Processing Speed Index (PSI) scores and TEA-Ch2 Selective Attention Index and Everyday Attention Index scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that CTMT-2 trails significantly predicted PSI scores, TEA-Ch2 Selective Attention Index scores, and TEA-Ch2 Everyday Attention Index scores. The findings support the CTMT-2's utility in assessing selective and everyday attention and processing speed abilities in a sample of school-aged children and adolescents. These results have important implications for clinical practice, suggesting that the CTMT-2 can be a valuable supplemental tool in the comprehensive assessment of attentional deficits in this population. Future research should explore the CTMT-2's utility in diverse clinical samples and its potential to inform targeted interventions for children and adolescents with attentional difficulties.

Full citation

Boyle, Eugene. (2024). Investigating the Utility of the Comprehensive Trail Making Test -Second Edition (CTMT-2) in Assessing Attentional Deficits Among Children and Adolescents (Publication No. 31761032) [Doctoral dissertation, Fielding Graduate University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387076027_Investigating_the_Utility_of_the_Comprehensive_Trail_Making_Test_-Second_Edition_CTMT-2_in_Assessing_Attentional_Deficits_Among_Children_and_Adolescents

Date on ResearchGate RIS export: 2024-12-02.

Citation exports

• RIS (with N2 abstract): data/citations/boyle-2024-ctmt2-dissertation.ris
• BibTeX: data/citations/boyle-2024-ctmt2-dissertation.bib
• Abstract text: data/citations/boyle-2024-ctmt2-dissertation-abstract.txt
• Site citation key: Boyle2024CTMT in data/references-data.bib

Cluster links

• Topic hub: CTMT-2 & attentional assessment
• What is the CTMT-2?
• CTMT-2 and WISC-V PSI
• CTMT-2 and TEA-Ch2 attention
• ADHD assessment notes
• FAQ · Glossary
• About Eugene Boyle, Ph.D.
• LinkedIn profile hub
• Motherhood & SMI research brief
• Publications

Source note

Abstract and findings above are taken from the ResearchGate RIS N2 field (and matching author-supplied abstract text). The export contained a pagination artifact (“in iii assessing”); the readable abstract on this page uses “in assessing.” Bibliographic metadata also draw on RIS/BibTeX exports and ProQuest record 31761032. Consult the full dissertation for methods detail, statistics, limitations, and clinical nuance.