Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM): Normative data for the Latin American Spanish speaking adult population.

BACKGROUND

The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) is an instrument used to assess purposeful embellishment or fabrication of memory difficulties for personal gain. Although the TOMM can be use in non-English speaking cultures, it has not been validated in Spanish-speaking Central and South American contexts.

OBJECTIVE

To generate normative data on TOMM across 7 countries in Latin America, with country-specific adjustments for gender, age, and education, where appropriate.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 2,266 healthy adults who were recruited from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Each subject was administered the TOMM as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. A standardized five-step statistical procedure was used to generate the norms.

RESULTS

t-tests did not show significant differences in TOMM performance between men and women in any countries of the TOMM Trial 1 or 2. As a result, gender-adjusted norms were not generated.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study will have a large impact on the practice of neuropsychology in Latin America, as this is the first normative multicenter study to create norms for the TOMM in this global region.