The Fargo Map Test: a standardized method for assessing remote memory for visuospatial information.

At present, there is no standardized method for assessing remote memory (RM) for visuospatial information in humans. The Fargo Map Test (FMT) uses knowledge of the locations of geographical features in regions of the country in which subjects currently live and formerly resided to provide a measure of this aspect of RM. Two different formats of the FMT have been developed, which differ in their demands for fine motor skill, ease of scoring, and in the amount and nature of geographical knowledge that can be measured. Preliminary findings suggest that both formats are equally sensitive to the influences of gender and age in normal subjects. Furthermore, knowledge of the geography of regions of prior residence appears to be stable over a period of at least 15 years.