No abstract

Two‐year postsurgical developmental outcomes were assessed in 24 children with infantile spasms who underwent resective surgery. The mean age of onset of infantile spasms was 12.0 weeks and the mean age at surgery was 20.8 months. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). There was a significant increase in developmental level at 2 years postsurgery compared with presurgical levels. At 2 years postsurgery only one of the children in this series was severely retarded. The developmental outcomes of patients in the series were better than those in prior studies of symptomatic patients receiving medical treatment for infantile spasms. It is surprising that the children in the UCLA series frequently had developmental outcomes equal to and sometimes superior to other groups of children with infantile spasms, since all the UCLA patients were symptomatic, had neurologic deficits and had failed to respond to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and antiepileptic drugs. The 2‐year postsurgery developmental outcomes were best for the children who received surgery, when they were relatively young and who had the highest level of developmental attainments presurgically.

Hemispheric lateralization was clearly demonstrated in 8 children. As in adults, left hemisphere lateralization of receptive language is present at age 8 years.

We used longitudinal personality data to test whether number and quality of roles were associated with health and self‐enhancement in 100 privileged midlife women. Number of roles (from the set of partner, parent, and worker) was not related to autonomy, individuality, and complexity, as had been hypothesized, but to respect for norms, being well‐organized considering oneselt like other people. Through women with one role were lower in well‐being than women with more than one, hierarchical multiple regression showed no advantage to number of roles after psychological health at age 21 was taken in to account. However, quality of role, as assessed by marital satisfaction and status level in work, was associated with contentment and effective functioning, respectively, even after antecedent psychological functioning was taken into account. Particular roles were associated with particular advantages. The enhancement model of the accumulation of roles is compared with Erikson's theory of the development of personality.

Staff members supporting people with mental retardation in residential care were given scenarios describing tasks they might carry out and asked what would happen if they did, or failed to do, them (i.e., who would notice, what would their reaction be). Only a minority reported strong, certain consequences for anything they did from residents, families, or external professionals. Although a majority reported consequences from managers or coworkers, a large minority did not. The tasks for which most staff members reported consequences were administration, followed by enabling residents. Results suggest that staff members who give priority to administration may be responding to the contingencies established by their managers and that a shift in priorities may be required to improve staff members' interactions with clients.