The "Little Circles Test" (LCT): a dusted-off tool for assessing fine visuomotor function

Background: The fine visuomotor function is commonly impaired in several neurological conditions. However, there is a scarcity of reliable neuropsychological tools to assess such a critical domain.

Aims: The aim of this study is to explore the psychometric properties and provide normative data for the Visual-Motor Speed and Precision Test (VMSPT).

Results: Our normative sample included 220 participants (130 females) aged 18-86 years (mean education = 15.24 years, SD = 3.98). Results showed that raw VMSPT scores were affected by higher age and lower education. No effect of sex or handedness was shown. Age- and education-based norms were provided. VMSPT exhibited weak-to-strong correlations with well-known neuropsychological tests, encompassing a wide range of cognitive domains of clinical relevance. By gradually intensifying the cognitive demands, the test becomes an indirect, performance-oriented measure of executive functioning. Finally, VMSPT seems proficient in capturing the speed-accuracy trade-off typically observed in the aging population.

Conclusions: This study proposes the initial standardization of a versatile, time-efficient, and cost-effective neuropsychological tool for assessing fine visuomotor coordination. We propose renaming the VMSPT as the more approachable "Little Circles Test" (LCT).