A series of information processing tasks was administered to 22 PKU children aged 8.5 years who had been under dietary treatment since birth as well as to 20 controls of the same age. This contribution presents the results of two tasks from this series: a continuous performance task and a calculation task. The continuous performance task revealed a sustained attention deficit in the PKU group. In the calculation task the PKU children were slower than the controls and this difference increased with task difficulty. When the PKU sample was divided in two groups (above and below the median value of the concurrent plasma Phe level), the high Phe level group performed much worse in comparison to the low Phe level group. The latter group actually matched performance level of the controls. This could be observed for both tasks. The serum Phe level, assessed since birth over 6 month periods, correlated highly with task performance. As regards sustained attention, the Phe level measured during the 2 years preceeding test administration appeared to be an even better predictor for task performance than the concurrent Phe level, a finding which seems to underline the chronic effect of Phe on basic attention mechanisms. The results so far seem to stress the value of well-controlled dietary restrictions.

Cognitive development of early treated PKU children (132) was investigated by intelligence tests, tests for visual perception, motor and language development. Deviations from test norms occurred at 5 years of age concerning performance IQ, mathematical thinking, and visual perception. With the exception of mathematical thinking, "normal" results were obtained at the age of 6 years. Correlation with levels of plasma Phe revealed a relation between quality of dietary control and performance IQ. Results are discussed in light of methodological aspects and with respect to treatment consequence.

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A total of 1470 students in Berlin, Germany, aged 7-22 years, were screened for cardiovascular risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, smoking habits, and a positive family history. Only 56% had no modifiable risk factor, but 16% showed total cholesterol (TC) levels greater than 200 mg/dl. One percent had severe and 11% had borderline hypertension. Also, 21% were overweight, and 27% of the adolescents greater than or equal to 15 years admitted to smoking regularly. In this paper we concentrate on cholesterol findings of this study, i.e., the dependence of TC on sex, age, weight, and the use of oral contraceptives. There was an age dependency in both sexes. In boys the lowest TC levels were found in the 12-17-year-olds, whereas the group under 10 had the highest ones. In the age group over 17, TC was higher than in the younger groups. The age dependency of the TC levels in girls was similar, but less pronounced. The minimum level was reached earlier, namely in the group 14-15 years old, rather than in the group 16-17. TC levels of girls compared to boys were significantly higher in the 12-13 and 16-17 age groups. Girls who use oral contraceptives had significantly higher TC levels. Obesity had no influence on TC. Our results support the demand for screening for cardiovascular risk factors in children.