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.