A-235 The Degree to which Age, Education and Race predict TOMM Performance in a Retired NFL Cohort

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The study aimed to evaluate how performance on the TOMM was related to age, race, and level of education. Methods, 160 NFL former players (Mage= 48.9, 71% African American, 29% Caucasian) were evaluated for possible CTE. The sample consisted of 124 African American (Mage= 46.3, SD= 7.94) and 36 Whites (Mage= 43.3, SD= 8.66). Results: Age (b = .143, p = .033) and ethnicity (b = -3.740, p = .036) were significant predictor of the TOMM trial 1, F(2, 153) = 2.587, p = .079, R2 = .033 but were not significant predictors for TOMM trial 2 and 3. Independent-sample t-tests were conducted to compare participants performance on all TOMM trials between both ethnic groups. There was a significant difference in mean scores for T1 t(155) = 2.81, p = .006, d=.540, T2 t(158) = 1.762, p= .04, d= .33 and T3 t(158) = 2.187, p .015, d= .41 with African Americans performing relatively lower than Whites. Discussion: Ethnicity and age were significant predictor of performance only on TOMM trial 1. The TOMM was not resistant to the effect of ethnicity thus supporting evidence from previous studies. Differences may be due to cultural influences such as lack of prior exposure to some TOMM pictures. Moreover, consistent with the literature, there is a negative correlation between test outcome and age. Though the TOMM is a reputable measure for suboptimal effort, its content may not be appropriate for various ethnic background. Therefore, it is essential to employ culturally appropriate measures to detect insufficient effort.