Children with developmental reading disabilities (RD) frequently display impaired working memory functioning. However, research has been divergent regarding the characteristics of the deficit. Our investigation addressed this controversy by assessing Baddeley's working memory model as a whole rather than focusing on particular aspects of it, as has been done by much of the research to date. Participants included 20 children with RD and 20 typical readers between the ages of 9 and 13. The phonological loop, visual-spatial sketchpad, and central executive were assessed according to Baddeley's model. The results demonstrated that children with RD have an impaired phonological loop but intact visual-spatial sketchpad and central executive functioning as compared to controls. In terms of the phonological loop, the deficit appears to be specific to the phonological store. Furthermore, our research supports a relationship between phonological processing and phonological loop functioning.

The authors assessed the accuracy of dynamic computed tomography (CT) in diagnosis and staging of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and analyzed the survival rates of patients with resectable and unresectable tumors. A correct diagnosis based on CT findings was made in 159 of 174 patients (91%) with 13 false-positive (8%) and two false-negative diagnoses (1%). The 13 false-positive diagnoses highlight the need for confirmation of diagnosis with biopsy. The accuracy of staging with CT was compared with that of angiography (42 patients) and surgery (51 patients). CT was more accurate than angiography in demonstrating tumor involvement of major peripancreatic vessels. Staging criteria were reliable: No unresectable tumors based on CT findings were found to be resectable during surgery (42 patients), while only three of nine resectable tumors based on CT findings were found to be unresectable. Thus, no tumors were incorrectly staged, which would potentially deny surgery for a patient. The average survival rate after resection was 14 months, while the survival rates after palliative (biliary or gastrointestinal bypass) or no treatment were 8 months and 5 months, respectively.

CT was performed prior to surgery in 103 patients with colorectal carcinoma to assess its value in staging the tumor. Preoperative IBD scans had sensitivities and specificities of 72.7% and 98.9% in detection of liver metastases, 25.9% and 96% in detection of lymph node metastases, and 61.2% and 80.6% in detection of local extension. Compared with the Duke's classification, CT correctly staged only 47.5% of patients: 16.6% were upstaged, and 83.3% were downstaged. Recurrent tumors developed in 11 of 67 patients followed for more than 24 months. CT depicted recurrence in six patients scanned prior to 12 months. Routine scans obtained at 12 months depicted unsuspected tumor recurrence in three of four patients with proved recurrent disease (one patient with pulmonary metastases did not undergo CT). This study indicates that because of the poor accuracy of CT in preoperative local staging of colorectal carcinoma, it has virtually no useful clinical role in this regard. However, preoperative CT evaluation of the liver can be useful. Routine postoperative CT, combined with fine-needle aspiration biopsy, is useful for detection of recurrent tumor.

Ultrasonographic (US) findings were correlated with clinical outcome in seven cases of meconium peritonitis detected with prenatal US during a 2-year period. Nineteen previously reported cases were also reviewed. US findings included intraabdominal calcifications (n = six cases), fetal ascites (n = 3), echogenic ascites without calcifications (n = 1), bowel dilatation (n = 2), and polyhydramnios (n = 5). Following delivery, six infants were still alive after a mean follow-up of 13 months (range, 6-26 months); the seventh died of hydrocephalus. Of the six, four required surgical correction of a small-bowel perforation and two did not. All six are thriving, and none has yet been found to have cystic fibrosis. In the 19 previously reported cases, there were only two cases of cystic fibrosis, neither with intraabdominal calcifications. The presence of calcifications was significantly associated with causes other than cystic fibrosis. Prenatally diagnosed cases of meconium peritonitis are associated with cystic fibrosis less frequently than previous studies suggest.

The authors investigated age-related slowing of information processing in mental imagery tasks. Eighty-five healthy adults (ages 18 to 77) performed a visual, sensorimotor, reaction-time task; a visual-perceptual choice reaction task; and 3 mental imagery tasks that varied in apparent difficulty and involved stimuli at 2 levels of graphic complexity. Age was associated with prolongation of response time across all tasks and both levels of stimulus complexity. Accuracy of response was adversely affected by increase in stimulus complexity in all tasks, whereas it was negatively related to age only on the tasks with substantial mental imagery requirements. Slowing of information processing and reduction in accuracy were mediated by declines in working memory but not by decrease of sensorimotor speed.