Assessment of changes in psychomotor performance of elderly subjects

1. The repeatability of a computerised psychomotor test battery on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis was assessed by determining its test-retest reliability and variations in group-means and intraindividual psychomotor performance scores of elderly people. 2. Psychomotor performance was assessed in 50 well-screened elderly subjects (21 males, 29 females; mean age 70.4 +/- 5.0 (s.d.) years) on 5 consecutive days and over 4 weeks in standardised test conditions. 3. The psychomotor test battery consisted of computerised versions of symbol digit substitution test (SDST), continuous attention test (CAT), choice reaction time (CRT), critical flicker fusion test (CFFT), cognitive flexibility test (FLEX), paired word association test (PWAT) and inspection time (INSP). 4. Main outcome measures were test-retest reliability, group variability and intraindividual variability. 5. There was no significant variation in group-means for all components of the test battery over 5 days or 4 weeks on two way analysis of variance. The intraindividual coefficient of variation was low for SDST, CRT, CFFT, FLEX, PWAT and INSP during the period of assessment. Test retest reliability was greater than 0.8 for SDST, CAT, CRT and PWAT. 6. Tests in the Automated Psychomotor Test Battery are reliable and repeatable measures of psychomotor performance on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis.     

CT features of acute phlegmonous gastritis

One case of phlegmonous gastritis is presented. Radiological diagnosis of this condition is difficult. In the setting of a clinical suspicion of this condition, computed tomography (CT) is the imaging modality of choice.     

Right ventricular outflow tract after non-conduit repair of tetralogy of Fallot with coronary anomaly

BACKGROUND: A total of 25 patients with tetralogy of Fallot and an important coronary artery crossing the right ventricular outflow tract underwent complete repair without use of an extracardiac conduit between January 1990 and December 1994. Repair was exclusively done by the transatrial or transatrial-transpulmonary approach. Age of these patients ranged from 1 to 12 years (mean 3.6 years). Three of the patients had already received a systemic to pulmonary artery shunt. METHODS: All patients reporting for follow-up (n = 18) were subjected to transthoracic echocardiography and, if required, cardiac catheterization and angiography. Right ventricle to pulmonary artery gradients were noted preoperatively, at discharge following repair and at follow-up study. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 40.6 months (24 to 62 months). Mean early postoperative gradient was 23.5+/-13.4 mm Hg and 4 patients had significant (> 30 mm Hg) gradients. Mean late postoperative gradient was 20.6+/-12.4 mmHg and 2 patients had gradients greater than 30 mmHg. All the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I at the time of last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Acceptable gradients across the right ventricular outflow tract are achievable following repair of tetralogy of Fallot in the presence of anomalous coronary artery across the right ventricular outflow tract using the transatrial or transatrial-transpulmonary approach. Most gradients were found not to vary significantly on subsequent follow-up.