Clinical trials data
Trail Making Test in cognitive impairment and decline trials: 77 registered studies
Every registered cognitive impairment and decline study on ClinicalTrials.gov that names the Trail Making Test in an outcome measure: how often it is a primary outcome, the tests named with it, how large the studies are and when they measure it.
- Registered cognitive impairment and decline studies name it in an outcome measure
- 77
- Name it in a primary outcome, 43%
- 33 of 77
Tests named in the same studies
- 1
Verbal Learning34 studies, 13 as a primary outcome
- 2
Verbal Fluency29 studies, 13 as a primary outcome
- 3
Stroop Color-Word Test26 studies, 14 as a primary outcome
- 4
Digit Span Test25 studies, 10 as a primary outcome
- 5
Symbol Coding16 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
- 6
Category Fluency13 studies, 7 as a primary outcome
- 7
Picture Naming Test11 studies, 8 as a primary outcome
- 8
Clock Drawing Task9 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
- 9
Complex Figure Copy and Recall7 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
- 10
Continuous Performance Test6 studies, 3 as a primary outcome
A test as a primary outcomeOnly in secondary or other outcomes
Studies by start year
A test as a primary outcomeOnly in secondary or other outcomes
Show as a table
| Start year | Studies | A test as a primary outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 | 1 |
| 2018 | 10 | 5 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 | 4 |
| 2023 | 10 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 |
Phases and study sizes
By phase
- Phase 11 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Phase 27 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Phase 42 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Not applicable54 studies, 29 as a primary outcome
- Observational13 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
Participants per study
- Not applicable59 median, 34 to 123
- Observational128 median, 100 to 240
Show as a table
| Phase | Studies with a size | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not applicable | 54 | 59 | 34 to 123 |
| Observational | 13 | 128 | 100 to 240 |
When cognitive impairment and decline trials measure it
Latest time point of each outcome
- Within a day13 outcomes, 6 as a primary outcome
- Up to 4 weeks8 outcomes, 3 as a primary outcome
- 1 to 3 months13 outcomes, 11 as a primary outcome
- 3 to 6 months21 outcomes, 5 as a primary outcome
- 6 to 12 months11 outcomes, 4 as a primary outcome
- 1 to 2 years4 outcomes, 2 as a primary outcome
- Over 2 years4 outcomes, 1 as a primary outcome
- No duration given3 outcomes, 1 as a primary outcome
A test as a primary outcomeOnly in secondary or other outcomes
74 of the 77 outcome measures give a duration. A single visit counts as within a day.
Status, results, interventions and countries
Status
- Recruiting11 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
- Not yet recruiting3 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Active, not recruiting5 studies, 4 as a primary outcome
- Completed34 studies, 15 as a primary outcome
- Stopped early6 studies, 2 as a primary outcome
- Status unknown18 studies, 7 as a primary outcome
What they test
- Behavioral15 studies, 8 as a primary outcome
- Drug8 studies, 2 as a primary outcome
- Device12 studies, 5 as a primary outcome
- Dietary supplement11 studies, 6 as a primary outcome
- Procedure2 studies, 2 as a primary outcome
- Diagnostic test2 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Biological1 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Combination product1 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Other27 studies, 11 as a primary outcome
- None given4 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
Intervention types as registered. A study can list several; observational studies often list none.
Where their sites are
- United States18 studies, 7 as a primary outcome
- Spain10 studies, 7 as a primary outcome
- China9 studies, 3 as a primary outcome
- Canada4 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Taiwan4 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Brazil3 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- France3 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Italy3 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Türkiye3 studies, 3 as a primary outcome
- United Kingdom3 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
- Denmark2 studies, 0 as a primary outcome
- Australia1 studies, 1 as a primary outcome
23 countries in all. A study with sites in several counts in each; 4 list no site.
Reported results
Completed studies with results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov, a results paper the registry links to the study, or both.
Completed cognitive impairment and decline studies that name the Trail Making Test: 15 of 34, 44%
Every completed study with a cognitive outcome: 3,626 of 7,953, 46%
| Results | Completed cognitive impairment and decline studies that name the Trail Making Test | Every completed study |
|---|---|---|
| Results on ClinicalTrials.gov and a paper | 3, 9% | 776, 10% |
| Results on ClinicalTrials.gov only | 5, 15% | 1,139, 14% |
| A results paper only | 7, 21% | 1,711, 22% |
| Neither | 19, 56% | 4,327, 54% |
The 77 studies
77 studies match. 33 name the Trail Making Test in a primary outcome. Median size 66 participants. Median time to the primary outcome: 13 weeks.
Loading 77 studies; the filters turn on when they arrive.
2026 is partly planned starts.
Show as a table
| Start year | Studies | As a primary outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 | 1 |
| 2018 | 10 | 5 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 | 4 |
| 2023 | 10 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 |
Library tests named most
Conditions
Phases
Participants
Lead sponsor: industry 5, other 72. Interventional 64, observational 13.
As a primary outcomeSecondary or other outcomeThe Trail Making Test
The studies, newest registration first
Each number opens the study's record on ClinicalTrials.gov.
| Study | Start | Phase | Conditions | Participants | Lead sponsor | Status | Library tests named, with the latest time point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07891650 | Start2026 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants160 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusNot yet recruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07833644 | Start2023 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants36 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusActive, not recruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07753382 | Start2026 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants36 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusNot yet recruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07584408 | Start2019 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants15 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStopped early | Library tests named
|
| NCT07402161 | Start2025 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants250 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07342075 | Start2025 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants50 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07242495 | Start2024 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants34 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07168824 | Start2025 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants40 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusCompleted | Library tests named
|
| NCT07166835 | Start2025 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants27 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusNot yet recruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07104435 | Start2025 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants80 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusActive, not recruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT07042633 | Start2024 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants150 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06933095 | Start2024 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants153 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06832839 | Start2024 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants360 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06666088 | Start2025 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants81 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusCompleted | Library tests named
|
| NCT06579664 | Start2025 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants58 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06520878 | Start2025 | PhasePhase 2 | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants60 | Lead sponsorIndustry | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06515106 | Start2023 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants20 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06466642 | Start2023 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants43 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStatus unknown | Library tests named
|
| NCT06352749 | Start2024 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants120 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStatus unknown | Library tests named
|
| NCT06258382 | Start2023 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants600 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStatus unknown | Library tests named
|
| NCT06227962 | Start2023 | PhaseObservational | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants240 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusRecruiting | Library tests named
|
| NCT06183788 | Start2023 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants20 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStatus unknown | Library tests named
|
| NCT06130878 | Start2024 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants96 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusCompleted | Library tests named
|
| NCT05994391 | Start2022 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants100 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusCompleted | Library tests named
|
| NCT05990023 | Start2023 | PhaseNot applicable | ConditionsCognitive impairment and decline | Participants150 | Lead sponsorOther | StatusStatus unknown | Library tests named
|
Questions, answered from the data
How many cognitive impairment and decline trials use the Trail Making Test?
77 registered cognitive impairment and decline studies on ClinicalTrials.gov name it in an outcome measure, 33 of them in a primary outcome: 22% of the condition's 354 studies with a cognitive outcome, against 14% of all of them. It is the 2nd most named test in cognitive impairment and decline trials.
Which tests do cognitive impairment and decline trials use with the Trail Making Test?
Verbal Learning (34 studies), Verbal Fluency (29 studies) and the Stroop Color-Word Test (26 studies).
When do cognitive impairment and decline trials measure the Trail Making Test?
Half of the primary outcomes that name the Trail Making Test are measured within 13 weeks of the start, and the middle half from 4 weeks to 6 months. 32 primary outcomes give a duration.
How many completed cognitive impairment and decline trials that use the Trail Making Test have reported results?
15 of the 34 completed studies that name it, 44%, have reported results: 8 posted them on ClinicalTrials.gov, 10 have a results paper linked to the registry record, and 3 did both. The other 19 show neither. Of all completed studies with a cognitive outcome, 46% have reported results.
How the studies are counted
For each test family, the census runs ClinicalTrials.gov's own outcome search for the family's names and reads every study first posted by the day the family was counted. These studies were read on 10 November 2026. A study counts once on a page, however many tests it names. Counts for a test cover every version of the task under any of its names, so a page can count studies that used a commercial version.
The census adds two things to each record and changes nothing in it: which outcome list names the test (primary, then secondary, then other), and the condition groups, matched on the study's condition names and MeSH terms. A study can fall in several groups; one whose only condition is cognitive impairment or decline falls in “Cognitive impairment and decline”. Studies that name only instruments outside the library count in every total and share but are not listed.
A second read on 10 November 2026 added each study's overall status, whether results are posted, its intervention types, the countries of its sites and the time frame of the outcome that names each test. A time frame counts by the latest time point it names: “Baseline, 12 and 24 weeks” is 24 weeks, a single visit is within a day, and one that names no duration, such as “end of treatment”, is left out of the timings.
A third read on 10 November 2026 added the papers the registry links to each study: those its sponsor lists as reporting results, and those PubMed links to it through the study's NCT number. A study has a results paper when one of them came out in or after the month of its primary completion and PubMed does not class it as a protocol, review or comment. A paper that never gives the NCT number is not linked, so some studies counted as reporting neither did publish.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which does not endorse these pages. Every study line is in the data release 2.1.0, and the explorer's own file is clinical-trials-studies.json.
The census counts Trail Making Test A and Trail Making Test B as one test family, so this page counts their studies together.
Run the Trail Making Test in your trial
Choose tests with a record in registered trials, and run them in a browser at every site, on the same version each visit.