The working memory token test (WMTT): preliminary findings in young adults with and without dyslexia

The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of a new version of the Token Test (TT) which is aimed at detecting deficits in auditory verbal working memory (henceforth WMTT). Twenty eight young healthy adults, 14 with and 14 without dyslexia, all paid volunteers, took part in the study. The WMTT was found to be positively and significantly correlated with tests of digit span forward and backward, pseudoword reading performance, but not with real word reading, performance IQ, and the d-2 attention measure. The WMTT also appeared to be a more sensitive method than the original TT to detect differences in auditory verbal working memory between the two subject groups. These main findings, albeit preliminary, indicate that the WMTT is superior to the original Token Test (memory parts) in assessing auditory verbal working memory deficits.