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Errors of commission and omission, chair movements, and reaction times were assessed in fifteen previously diagnosed hyperactive children on a Continuous Performance Test after four drug regimens: amphetamine at doses of 1.6 and 5.0 mg twice a day, as well as 300 mg caffeine administered alone and with 1.6 mg amphetamine twice a day, produced significant reductions in errors of commission and increased reaction times in those children scoring 24 or more on the Conner's Abbreviated Parent Questionnaire. In addition, subjective symptoms on this questionnaire were significantly reduced by all drug treatments. The high (600 mg) daily dose of caffeine was observed to significantly control hyperactive symptoms, however, it also produced a number of side effects as well.

STENOSIS of the aqueduct of Sylvius is a common cause of human hydrocephalus, occurring most often in infancy but also in childhood and in adult life. In a small proportion of cases, aqueductal narrowing occurs in a genetically determined pattern1 or complicates purulent meningitis and neoplastic disease. In most cases, however, the etiology of the stenosis cannot be determined. Recently, in rodents experimentally infected with human myxoviruses aqueductal stenosis and hydrocephalus were found to develop as delayed sequelae of the acute viral infection.2 Furthermore, by the time these abnormalities became apparent, there was no longer any evidence of infection.3 The . . .

Seventy-five normal (control) children were compared to 15 hyperactive children on a Continuous Performance Test over an eight-week period. The control children were observed to have a relatively constant number of correct responses, chair movements, and reaction times throughout the testing period. However, when the hyperactive children were differentiated according to their scores on the Conner's Abbreviated Parent Questionnaire, those children scoring one standard deviation above the normative mean were later revealed to have more errors of commission and omission, chair movements, and a longer reaction time than did the normal control children.

An improved method for the determination of arylsulfatase A, based on the ether solubility of 4-nitrocatechol, has been established. The method has been applied to the diagnosis of metachromatic leukodystrophy and can identify the carrier state. The method is also useful in organ surveys for the enzyme.