Working memory and information processing speed were examined in
children with myelomeningocele and shunted hydrocephalus using the
Children's Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (CHIPASAT). The
CHIPASAT was administered to 31 children with myelomeningocele and shunted
hydrocephalus and 27 healthy siblings, all between 8 and 15 years of age.
They also completed other standardized measures of working memory and
processing speed. Children with myelomeningocele made fewer correct
responses than siblings, although the magnitude of group differences
declined as the rate of stimulus presentation increased. Children with
myelomeningocele also made fewer consecutive correct responses and were
more likely to provide correct but nonconsecutive responses, suggesting
that they responded in a way that circumvents the working memory demands
of the task. Standardized measures of processing speed and working memory
accounted for significant variance in CHIPASAT performance after
controlling for age, group membership, math skill, and general
intellectual functioning. The results indicate that children with
myelomeningocele and shunted hydrocephalus display deficits in working
memory and information processing speed, and suggest that the CHIPASAT may
provide a valid measure of these skills. (JINS, 2006,
12, 305–313.)