Trail Making Test: Training for cognitive flexibility

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test dating back to the 1940s. It measures visual attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility. You connect dots in a specific order - either numerically (1-2-3) or alternating between numbers and letters (1-A-2-B-3-C).

TMT-A (Numbers)

1→2→3→...

TMT-B (Switch)

1→A→2→B

TMT-A vs. TMT-B

TMT-A: Connect only numbers in ascending order - measures mainly processing speed. TMT-B: Alternating numbers and letters - measures additionally cognitive flexibility. TMT-B is significantly harder, because you must switch between two rule systems.

What does the TMT train?

Visual search (rapid scanning and finding), sequential thinking (adhering to sequences), motor speed (hand-eye coordination), task switching (switching between rules in TMT-B), working memory (remembering where you are and what comes next).

👁️Visual search - Fast scanning and finding

🔢Sequential thinking - Maintain sequences

🎯Motor speed - Hand-eye coordination

🔄Task switching - Switch between rules

Everyday Relevance

You use the TMT skills daily: cooking (following a recipe, supervising several pots), driving (looking for traffic signs, planning routes), working (completing task lists, setting priorities), organizing (sorting documents, coordinating appointments).

🍳

Cooking

Follow recipe, monitor multiple pots

🚗

Driving

Identify traffic signs, plan routes

💼

Working

Work through task lists, prioritize

📁

Organizing

Sort documents, coordinate appointments

Trail Making in SynapseGym

SynapseGym offers a touch-optimized Trail Making Test with a classic mode (numbers only), extended mode (numbers and letters), and a Challenge mode with a time limit. Features: precise timing, error tracking, progress history. Training recommendation: 3-4 times per week, 5-10 minutes.