The impact of transportation concerning older adults is under scrutiny as the number of older adults is expected to significantly increase in the coming years. The World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded a world wide initiative that sought to examine what contributed to an “age-friendly community” in both developed and underdeveloped nations. This paper examines, in particular, the role that transportation plays in relation and contribution to an “age-friendly” community in Saanich, British Columbia, as an addition to the WHO initiative. Focus groups were conducted to ensure that information received was the lived experience of the individual. Results suggested that transportation was more than the ability to operate a vehicle, but in the ability to move safely within an environment. Additional information provided by participants spoke to the necessity of increasing awareness of licensing systems and improvements that could be implemented to ensure safety for older adult drivers and the community.

Aging, also in the absence of pathological conditions, is associated with cognitivedecline, especially in so called fluid abilities, such as episodic memory andexecutive functions. Due to an ongoing demographic shift, a larger part of thepopulation will reach higher ages, and more people will be affected by age-relatedcognitive decline. Finding ways of counteracting this development have the potentialof having large benefits for both individuals and society. It has long beenknown that living in environments that are rich in terms of cognitive challengescan affect cognitive ability in old age. In this regard, intervention studies in whichthe amount of cognitive stimulation is manipulated can therefore generate insightsto the causality of such effects in specific cognitive functions. Cognitive trainingas means to counteract negative effects of aging on cognition has received a lot ofscientific interest in the last decades.This focus of this thesis is cognitive training interventions, which is studiedfrom several perspectives. In Study i, the aim was to investigate the extent towhich executive functions can be strengthened by training in younger and olderadults, and to which degree such training generalize to other measures of cognition.Although a large body of research has been investigating training of workingmemory and executive functions in recent years, the results are diverse, and fewhave been targeting executive functions broadly with training programs based ontheoretical models of executive functions. Study i showed that despite a broadtraining program targeting three executive functions (updating, shifting and inhibition),it did not lead to transfer beyond the very near in old adults. The youngerhowever showed transfer effects to measures of working memory.In Study ii, the focus was on studying how the effects survive across time.There is limited knowledge about long-term effects of process-based training andthe results showed that the training effect was stable after 1.5 years, while only thenearest transfer effect was still significant in both younger and older adults.Study iii focused on individual factors affecting gain and maintenance thereofin a sample of older individuals. We used a strategy-based intervention focusingon episodic memory performance with a number-consonant mnemonic which is amnemonic for memorizing digit-codes. A different set of predictors was observedfor baseline episodic memory performance and training gain. Those that are betteroff in terms of episodic memory performance, also gain more in the episodic memorycriterion task. Further, a higher rate of processing speed was also important.Lastly, better verbal knowledge also influence gain beyond the other factors. Theresults have both theoretical implications regarding how plastic cognitive functionsare, and practical, in terms of how to best design training programs. / Över hela världen blir vi äldre. År 2050 kommer en femtedel av jordens befolkningvara 60 år eller äldre, att jämföra med en knapp tiondel år 1950. Det är förstås enpositiv utveckling men en åldrande befolkning innebär också att vi står inför flerautmaningar. En sådan rör det kognitiva åldrandet. Vi vet att åldrande kan leda tillnedgång i vissa kognitiva förmågor, såsom det episodiska minnet samt exekutivafunktioner. Episodiskt minne är vår förmåga att komma ihåg upplevda händelserknutna till tid och rum. Exekutiva funktioner är ett begrepp som inbegriper vårförmåga att hålla en plan aktiv medan vi utför den, utan att distraheras av tankareller externa störningsmoment. Genom att studera effekter av träning hos yngreoch äldre vuxna på sådana kognitiva funktioner kan vi få kunskap om till vilkengrad de kan förbättras och om denna förbättringspotential är olika beroende påålder. Vi vet sedan tidigare att människor som under sin livstid lever ett kognitivtstimulerande liv också till viss del är skyddade mot nedgång i kognition underåldrandet. Träningsstudier kan ge kunskap om kausaliteten i sådana fynd.Studie i i denna avhandling behandlar träning av exekutiva funktioner föryngre och äldre vuxna. Träningsprogrammet konstruerades utefter en teoretiskmodell som beskriver exekutiva funktioner som bestående av förmågan att inhiberastörande stimuli eller överlärda responser, förmågan att uppdatera informationi arbetsminnet, och förmågan att skifta mellan att utföra olika uppgifter. Resultatenvisade att de yngre kunde generalisera träningseffekten också till otränadearbetsminnesuppgifter, medan de äldre endast visade förbättring på otränade uppgiftersom hade stora likheter med de tränade.I Studie ii undersöktes hur mycket av träningseffekterna som kvarstod ettoch ett halvt år efter träningen. Resultaten visade att både för yngre och äldreså kvarstod effekten på tränade uppgifter samt en av uppgifterna som hade stortöverlapp med träningsuppgifterna, för både unga och äldre.I Studie iii studerades ett strategibaserat träningsprogram för episodisktminne. Fokus låg på att undersöka vilka individuella kognitiva faktorer sompåverkar förbättring som följd av träning. Resultaten visade att de med högre förmågai kognitiv bearbetningshastighet samt verbal förmåga var de som hade bästförutsättningar för förbättring.Resultaten från dessa studier är av både teoretisk relevans i och med att deökar förståelsen för träningsbarheten av exekutiva funktioner, samt har praktiskrelevans för utformning av träningsprogram.

Background and aim: As an experienced paediatric nurse I have recognised that adolescents with persistent chronic childhood diseases fall between two chairs. International studies support this recognition. Norwegian adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis are no exception. Chronic arthritis from childhood might have far-reaching consequences for the growth and development of the child, and for the family and community. The fact that a considerable proportion of children with JIA continue to have active disease and disease residua through adolescence into adulthood underlines the importance of illuminating the situation in a public-health perspective. Through this study I aim at exploring physical and psychosocial health among young adults with JIA in a life-span perspective from childhood and adolescence into adult life. Methods: The thesis has a qualitative and a quantitative approach. Study I had an abductive explorative design. The experiences and perceptions of health-care transition were explored by focus-group interviews with young people with JIA and related health professionals respectively. Qualitative content analysis was utilised. Study II had an abductive explorative design with qualitative interviews to explore young adults’ experiences of living with JIA in a life-span perspective. Qualitative content analysis was utilised. Study III had a longitudinal deductive design. The standardised questionnaires of Health Assessment Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire version 30, and Visual Analogue Scales of pain, fatigue, and illness were utilised to explore physical ability, psychosocial health, pain, fatigue, and illness in a cohort of patients with JIA 18.3 years after symptom-onset. Comparisons with baseline and first follow-up were performed. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and non parametric tests. Study IV had a cross-sectional deductive design. In addition to the questionnaires utilised in study III, the questionnaire of SF-36 Health Survey and data on education, employment, need of assistive equipment at work, and use of health services the previous year were employed. Comparisons with Norwegian population- based data were performed. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, and parametric and non parametric tests. Findings: In study I, ability to live a meaningful and responsible adult life seemed to be a common goal. Obstacles for the young people were the nature of the disease, a lack of focus on transition processes, and overprotective parents and health professionals. Obstacles for the health professionals were lack of inter-professional and inter-institutional formal co-operation and agreed practice, and lack of competence on adolescent development and health. Study II demonstrates that living with JIA implies a constant oscillation between struggle and adjustment to an insecure everyday life and an unpredictable life course. This was expressed as bodily experiences of limitation and freedom, interpersonal experiences of being included or set on the sidelines, and intrapersonal perceptions of insecurity and confidence. Of the 55 young adults with JIA in study III, 21 reported physical disability, and 12 reported psychiatric distress within the clinical range. Furthermore, 26 patients reported illness, 27 pain, and 33 fatigue above 10 on the VAS scale (0-100). Significant correlations were found between physical disability, pain, illness and fatigue, and between psychiatric distress, pain, and fatigue. Comparisons from first to second follow-up of the cohort showed no significant changes in physical or psychosocial functioning, pain, or fatigue. In study IV, physical ability and pain were significant predictors of the average variation of physical health while psychiatric distress and female gender were significant predictors of the average variation of mental health. Impaired physical health was associated with low rates of psychiatric distress. As compared to the general Norwegian population, impaired HRQL in the physical domain was found, but not in the mental domain, and a higher level of education, but similar employment rate. Conclusion: The four studies demonstrate complementary findings. Discrepancies between interviews and inquiries indicate that the interviews illuminate a depth and breadth of life with JIA in a life-span perspective that not is possible to unveil solely by standardised inquiries. Although persistent favourable outcomes are found physically and psychosocially from first to second follow-up, young adults with JIA reveal that life with JIA encompasses struggle and adjustment to an insecure life situation physically, psychologically, and socially. / Bakgrunn og mål: Mange års erfaring som pediatrisk sykepleier har vist meg at unge mennesker med kroniske barnesykdommer faller mellom to stoler i overgangen til voksent liv. Internasjonale studier støtter denne erfaringen, og norske ungdommer med juvenil idiopatisk artritt er ikke noe unntak. Kronisk barneleddgikt kan ha vidtrekkende konsekvenser for barnets vekst og utvikling, for familien og samfunnet for øvrig. Det faktum at mange barn fortsetter å ha aktiv sykdom og senvirkninger av sykdommen gjennom ungdomsårene og inn i voksent liv, understreker betydningen av å belyse de unges helse og livssituasjon i et folkehelseperspektiv. Gjennom denne avhandlingen ønsker jeg å undersøke fysisk, psykisk og sosial helse blant unge voksne med barneleddgikt i et livsløpsperspektiv. Metode: Avhandlingen har en kvantitativ og en kvalitativ tilnærming. Studie I hadde en abduktiv eksplorerende design. Gjennom fokusgruppeintervjuer med respektivt unge mennesker med barneleddgikt og helsepersonell innen revmatologi ble opplevelser og erfaringer med overgangen til voksenhelsetjenesten undersøkt. Kvalitativ innholdsanalyse ble benyttet. Studie II hadde også en abduktiv eksplorerende design med kvalitative intervjuer for å utforske livet med barneleddgikt blant unge voksne i et livsløpsperspektiv. Kvalitativ innholdsanalyse ble benyttet også her. Studie III hadde en longitudinell deduktiv design. Standardiserte spørreskjemaer om fysisk funksjon (Health Assessment Questionnaire), psykososial helse (General Health Questionnaire versjon 30), og sykdomsfølelse, smerte og trøtthet (Visual Analogue Scales) ble anvendt for å undersøke selvvurdert helse blant kohorten 18.3 år etter symptomdebut. Sammenligning med baselinestudien og første oppfølging ble gjort. Deskriptiv statistikk og non parametriske tester ble benyttet i dataanalysen. Studie IV var en deduktiv tverrsnittsstudie. I tillegg til spørreskjemaene som ble benyttet i studie III, ble spørreskjemaet SF-36 Health Survey benyttet for å undersøke selvvurdert helserelatert livskvalitet. Data fra telefonintervjuet om utdanning, yrkesaktivitet, behov for hjelpemidler på jobb, og behov for helsetjenester siste året ble inkludert. Sammenligninger ble gjort med norske normdata. Deskriptiv statistikk, parametriske og non parametriske tester ble benyttet i dataanalysen. Funn: Studie I viste at det å være i stand til å leve et meningsfylt og ansvarsbevisst voksenliv var et felles mål. Hindringer for de unge viste seg å være sykdommens natur, manglende fokus på overgangsprosessen, og overbeskyttende foreldre og helsepersonell. Hindringer blant helsepersonell var mangel på formelt samarbeid og omforent praksis på tvers av profesjoner og institusjoner, og mangel på kompetanse om ungdoms helse og utvikling. Studie II viste at livet med barneleddgikt innebærer en konstant veksling mellom kamp og tilpasning til et usikkert dagligliv og et uforutsigbart livsløp. Dette kom til uttrykk i erfaringer om kroppslige begrensninger eller frihet, interpersonlige opplevelser av å bli inkludert eller satt til side, og intrapersonlige opplevelser av usikkerhet eller trygghet. Blant de 55 unge voksne med barneleddgikt i studie III rapporterte 21 fysiske funksjonshemninger og 12 psykiatrisk distress. Videre rapporterte 26 pasienter sykdomsfølelse, 27 smerter, og 33 trøtthet med en skåring på 10 eller mer på VAS-skalaene (0-100). Signifikante korrelasjoner ble funnet mellom fysisk funksjonshemning, smerter, sykdomsfølelse og trøtthet, og mellom psykiatrisk distress, smerter og trøtthet. Sammenligninger fra første til andre oppfølging av kohorten viste ingen signifikante endringer i fysisk eller psykisk funksjonsevne, smerter eller trøtthet. Studie IV viste at fysisk funksjons-hemning og smerter var signifikante prediktorer for den gjennomsnittlige variasjonen i fysisk helse, mens psykiatrisk distress og kvinnelig kjønn var signifikante prediktorer for den gjennomsnittlige variasjonen i mental helse. Sviktende fysisk helse var ikke assosiert med psykiatrisk distress. Sammenlignet med norske normdata fant vi sviktende helserelatert livskvalitet i det fysiske domene, men ikke i det mentale domene, og høyere utdanningsnivå, men ingen forskjell i yrkesaktivitet. Konklusjon: Funnene fra de fire delstudiene kompletterer hverandre. Diskrepansen mellom funnene fra intervjuene og spørreskjemaene belyser en bredde og dybde i opplevelsene avlivet med barneleddgikt som det ikke er mulig å avdekke bare gjennom bruk av standardiserte spørreskjemaer. Selv om funnene viser vedvarende positive utfall av sykdommen både fysisk og psykososialt fra første til andre oppfølging, viser unge mennesker med barneleddgikt at livet innebærer kamp og tilpasning til en usikker livssituasjon fysisk, psykisk og sosialt.

Using Hebb’s (1961) paradigm, it has been shown that older adults (OAs) fail to learn recurrent visuospatial supra-span sequence information (Turcotte, Gagnon, & Poirier, 2005); a deficit which has not been demonstrated on verbal versions of the same task or in younger adults (YAs). Since the Hebb paradigm is thought to rely on working memory and thus attention (Conway & Engle, 1996), one interpretation concerns an OA’s capacity to allocate the necessary attentional resources to carry out the various components of the task. Five studies investigated this proposal. The first three (Article 1) examined attention in a general manner by reducing the amount of attentional resources that a YA could devote to carrying out the visuospatial Hebb supra-span sequence learning task through the implementation of a verbal dual task (DT) procedure. The fourth (Article 2) further investigated the role of attention by using a DT induced at retrieval that overlapped extensively with the requirements (spatial and response features) of the visuospatial Hebb task. The final study (Article 3) aimed to use our previous findings to demonstrate learning among OAs in a visuospatial Hebb learning paradigm in which the motor response was replaced by a verbal response. Our findings confirm that attentional resources employed at the retrieval phase of the task appear to be particularly important for the demonstration of visuospatial sequence learning. The inclusion of a spatial and motor based DT at recall eliminated learning of the repeated sequence in YAs. Interestingly, the learning deficit of OAs was partially eliminated when the motor and spatial requirements at retrieval were reduced. Our findings offer strong support to the contention that supra-span learning of the Hebb type is not altered by the effect of age. However, learning deficits can be observed among OAs when the retrieval component of the task overly taxes attention-related processes. In the case of the visuospatial sequences, the basis of the deficit likely concerns an individual’s capacity to discriminate between responses made to previously presented sequences versus those that need to be made in reaction to the just seen sequence.

Difficult gradient calculations, converging to a local optimum without exploring the design space adequately, too much dependency on the starting solution, lacking capabilities to treat discrete and mixed design variables are the main drawbacks of conventional optimization techniques. So evolutionary optimization methods received significant interest amongst researchers in the optimization area. Genetic algorithms (GAs) and simulated annealing (SA) are the main representatives of evolutionary optimization methods. These techniques emerged as powerful and modern strategies to efficiently deal with the difficulties encountered in conventional techniques, and therefore rightly attracted a substantial interest and popularity. The underlying concepts of these techniques and thus their algorithmic models have been devised by establishing between the optimization task and events occurring in nature. While, Darwin&amp / #8217 / s survival of the fittest theory is mimicked by GAs, annealing process of physical systems are employed to SA. On the other hand, dome structures are among the most preferred types of structures for large unobstructed areas. Domes have been of a special interest in the sense that they enclose a maximum amount of space with a minimum surface. This feature provides economy in terms of consumption of constructional materials. So merging these two concepts make it possible to obtain optimum designs of dome structures. This thesis is concerned with the use of GAs and SA in optimum structural design of dome structures, which range from some relatively simple problems to the problems of increased complexity. In this thesis, firstly both techniques are investigated in terms of their practicality and applicability to the problems of interest. Then numerous test problems taken from real life conditions are studied for comparing the success of the proposed GA and SA techniques with other discrete and continuous optimization methods. The results are discussed in detail to reach certain recommendations contributing to a more efficient use of the techniques in optimum structural design of pin-jointed 3-D dome structures.

The impact of transportation concerning older adults is under scrutiny as the number of older adults is expected to significantly increase in the coming years. The World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded a world wide initiative that sought to examine what contributed to an “age-friendly community” in both developed and underdeveloped nations. This paper examines, in particular, the role that transportation plays in relation and contribution to an “age-friendly” community in Saanich, British Columbia, as an addition to the WHO initiative. Focus groups were conducted to ensure that information received was the lived experience of the individual. Results suggested that transportation was more than the ability to operate a vehicle, but in the ability to move safely within an environment. Additional information provided by participants spoke to the necessity of increasing awareness of licensing systems and improvements that could be implemented to ensure safety for older adult drivers and the community.

The reforms in the public sector, as consequence of New Public Management, have led to flattened organizational structure, increasing the span of control(SOC) width for managers. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between SOC width, working conditions (job demands, job resources and engaged leadership), employee health and engagement. SOC was measured as predictor for employee health and engagement, where mediation of working conditions effect on the relation was examined. Self-administrated surveys were collected from 1551 employees working under 109 managers in four public sector municipal operations in Sweden. The result displayed that it was unfavorable to have managers with a wide SOC for the employees working conditions, engagement and health. SOC was a significant predictor for health, while mediation of working conditions could not account for the relationship. These results indicate that a narrow SOC may improve working conditions and health outcomes for employees.

Este trabalho aborda, de uma forma geral, os sistemas estruturais normalmente adotados no projeto de cúpulas metálicas. Foi dado ênfase a um arranjo derivado do sistema Schwedler, recentemente utilizado em projetos desenvolvidos no interior do estado de São Paulo. O trabalho pode ser divido em duas partes, a primeira delas versando sobre as ligações que compunham o sistema estrutural estudado, e a segunda versando sobre a influência dessas ligações no comportamento da estrutura e sobre a influência da forma de contraventamento. As ligações foram estudadas sob dois aspectos diferentes, que foram: a) revisão e aperfeiçoamento dos critérios de dimensionamento adotados em algumas ligações, e b) proposição de modelos para descrição do comportamento momento-rotação de ligações com dupla tala de alma parafusada e de aparelhos de apoio. A influência do tipo de contraventamento e da rigidez das ligações foi investigada por meio do efeito exercido nos deslocamentos verticais e na distribuição de esforços internos da estrutura. Para tanto, foram utilizados programas computacionais de uso já consagrado, cujos resultados foram comparados entre si. / In a general way, this work deals with structural systems usually adopted in the project of metallic domes. Emphasis was given to a derived arrangement derived of the Schwedler system, recently used in projects developed the state of São Paulo. The work can be divided in two parts, the first one is about the connections that compose the structural system studied, and second one treats the influence of those connections in the structure behavior and the influence in the brace configuration. The connections were studied under two different aspects, that were: a) revision and improvement of the design criteria adopted in some connections, and b) proposition of models for the momentrotation description for double plate connections of web. The influence of the brace type and of the rigidity of the connections were investigated by means of the effect in the vertical displacements and in the distribution of internal efforts of the structure. So, two commercial softwares were used, and the results were compared.

O tempo de vida e o desenvolvimento foliar sempre foram questões que intrigaram a humanidade, para além da questão científica, há um interesse até mesmo estético, uma vez que as folhas senescentes do hemisfério Norte e algumas do hemisfério Sul mudam sua coloração de verde para vermelho ou para um amarelo vistoso. Do ponto de vista científico o tempo de vida foliar está associado à produtividade das plantas, bem como às características estruturais das folhas. No entanto, a maioria dos trabalhos enfoca apenas a folha individualmente e não aborda o ponto que o tempo de vida foliar é, na verdade, um produto das taxas de nascimento e de mortalidade que ocorrem no nível da copa. Este é provavelmente o fator que faz com que haja um grande contraste na literatura sobre o tempo de vida foliar. Do ponto de vista ecológico analisam-se apenas as consequências do tempo de vida foliar, sem levar em consideração os mecanismos fisiológicos responsáveis pela mortalidade. Os trabalhos fisiológicos, por outro lado, enfocam em causas da mortalidade - o aumento na quantidade de hexoses e/ou mudanças nos reguladores de crescimento - sem levar em consideração as conseqüências do tempo de vida foliar. Este trabalho visa integrar estas duas visões. Como o nitrogênio é um dos minerais que possuem um efeito profundo no tempo de vida foliar, este foi usado como ferramenta para modificar o tempo de vida foliar de plantas de Senna alata, uma planta pioneira da família Leguminosae, que apresenta crescimento rápido. Foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro foi definida a melhor fonte de nitrogênio para o desenvolvimento da planta usando concentrações iguais de NO3, NH4 e NH4NO3. E no segundo experimento foi estudado o efeito de diferentes concentrações da melhor fonte. Em ambos os casos, a expansão, a biomassa, a fotossíntese (somente no segundo experimento) e teores e composição de carboidratos não estruturais, foram acompanhados para cada folha da planta. No primeiro experimento observou-se que ocorreu um aumento na taxa de mortalidade sem efeito na taxa de iniciação foliar, este fato levou a uma diminuição na longevidade das folhas, o que diminuiu o número de folhas na copa, mas não alterou a estrutura vertical da copa. A quantidade de hexoses na fase de senescência parece estar envolvida com o aumento na taxa de mortalidade através do mecanismo sensor de açúcares e como atuou diminuindo o tempo de senescência das folhas, levou a uma mudança no desenvolvimento foliar. No segundo experimento não houve diferença na mortalidade, mas um aumento na iniciação foliar, assim, conforme a concentração de nitrogênio aumentou, a longevidade das folhas tendeu a aumentar e o número de folhas na copa aumentou, mudando a estrutura vertical desta. Como obervado no primeiro experimento, a baixa concentração de hexoses durante a fase de maturidade pareceu ser o mecanismo que impediu a senescência foliar e que, portanto, modificou o desenvolvimento foliar por aumentar a sua fase de maturidade / Leaf life and development have always been intriguing aspects of nature. Even beyond the scientific scope, the aesthetics of such natural processes, illustrated in many different cases, such as when senescent northern hemisphere leaves (as well as some leaves found in the southern hemisphere) change colors from Green to re dor bright yellow. From a scientific standpoint, leaf life span is related to the plants′ productivity, as well as the structural characteristics of the leave themselves. Unfortunately, most current academic studies focus specifically on leaves, neglecting the fact that leaf life span is intimately related to birth and mortality rates at the canopy. This is possibly the greatest issue surrounding academic controversies and discussions regarding leaf life span. From na ecologic perspective, only the consequences deriving from leaf life are analyzed, while all mortality-related physiological mechanisms are not considered. Physiological studies, on the other hand, focus on causes of mortality - increased amount of hexoses and/or changes in growth regulators - but fail to consider the consequences of leaf life span. This article attempts to integrate both standpoints. As one of the minerals with greatest effect on leaf life span, nitrogen Will be used as a way to alter leaf life span during the experiments. In the first experiment we Will establish the most adequate nitrogen source, using the same NO3, NH4 and NH4NO3 concentrations. In the second experiment, we Will assess the effect of different concentrations in such nitrogen source. The first experiment indicated na increase in the mortality rate with no impact over the leaf initiation process, which decreased leaf life span and the amount of leaves in the canopy, but did not change the canopy vertical structure. The amount of hexoses in the senescence phase is responsible for the mortality rate increase and, by shortening the leaves′ senescence process, ultimately changed the leaves′ development. The second experiment did not indicate changes in the mortality rate, but prompted the leaf initiation process. Therefore, as the nitrogen concentratio increased, so did the leaves′ life span and the amount of leaves in the canopy, altering its vertical structure. During the maturity phase, the low hexose concentration seemed to be the mecanism responsible for hidering the leaf senescence process and, therefore, modified the leaves′ development by the increasing the maturity phase.

In this thesis, the relationship between cognition and speech-in-noise recognition, in normally-hearing Swedish students, is examined. The Trail Making Test, hypothesized to measure a wide range of cognitive functions, including executive function and working memory, has been criticized for being a culturally biased measure, hence the need for a culturally unbiased version. A between-group experiment was conducted in which a non-semantically dependent version of the Trail Making Test was compared to the original Trail Making Test in order to test for psychometric equivalence. A total of 21 young normally-hearing Swedish students were given three tests: TMT or TMT (non-semantically dependent version), a Swedish Reading Span Task and a Swedish speech-in-noise recognition task. The B parts of the two Trail Making Test versions differed significantly and both were moderately to highly correlated to speech-in-noise and reading span performance. The results indicates that the original Trail Making Test is a more plausible index for executive function and strengthens the relationship between executive function, working memory and speech-in-noise recognition.