Right-left Orientation Research Articles

Cognitive Neurology Continuing Medical Education: History Taking and Bedside Mental Status Examination in a Patient with Dementia.

In a patient presenting with forgetfulness, history taking comprises asking questions pertaining to specific cognitive domains namely memory, language, executive function, visuospatial functions, and social cognition to characterize the clinical phenotype. The next step is to administer a standardized screening test for cognitive assessment, namely the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)/mini mental status examination (MMSE). These have been validated in five Indian languages. Detailed lobar function tests to assess functions of frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes namely planning, set-shifting, recent and remote memory, apraxia, agnosia, cortical sensory loss, language, etc., are the final step to identify the possible subtype of dementia. Attention testing with random letter cancellation test must be performed at the outset, as an inattentive patient cannot complete rest of the examination. Clock drawing is a simple bedside test that can assess global cognitive functions by detecting deficits in attention, planning, right-left orientation, constructional ability, visuospatial orientation, and neglect.

Образ тела девочек-подростков с разным индексом массы тела, имеющих гинекологические заболевания

Background. The study relevance is due to a decrease in publication activity in relation to the object of research in the last 10 years (according to the professional information database LENS.ORG) by 12% compared to the previous decade, while social demand remains high. Objectives. The goal is to identify differences in the structural components of body image, as well as factors involved in its formation in adolescent girls with different body mass indexes and gynecological diseases. Study Participants. 31 teenage girls aged 11–17 years (Mage = 14.06, SD = 2.02 years), having a confirmed gynecological disease according to ICD-10 (menstrual irregularities, inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, benign tumors of the pelvic organs and mammary glands). Methods. The study used the author's questionnaire, consisting of 3 substantive blocks of questions (socio-demographic; somatic, socio-psychological data) and 4 psychodiagnostic techniques: Body Image Questionnaire by O.A. Skugarevsky and S.V. Sivukha; SIBID questionnaire (Thomas F. Cash) adapted by L.T. Baranskaya and S.S. Tataurova; Nonverbal technique for assessing satisfaction with body areas (SBS) Meshkova T.A., Neuropsychological tests for somatognosis (right-left orientation in the body diagram, idea of body size in space). Results. Statistically significant differences in the level of dissatisfaction with both their own body and body parts were revealed between the groups of adolescent girls with different BMI values. At the level of somatosensory gnosis, both groups showed disturbances in quasi-spatial orientation (orientation in their own body), which manifested themselves in mirroring errors and difficulty transferring the spatial organization of hand posture in the horizontal and vertical planes of right-left orientation. Statistically significant direct relationships were revealed between BMI values and indicators of dissatisfaction with their own body and situational dissatisfaction with body image. Significant relationships between BMI and the time spent in the digital space, the number of subscribers in social networks, school performance, and diet were revealed. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, a significant correlation between body mass index indicators in adolescent girls with gynecological diseases with such indicators as satisfaction/dissatisfaction with their own body and their body image, time spent in the digital space and the number of subscribers, school performance, as well as diet was revealed.

Evaluation of mental maturity and right-left orientation and correlations with gait and balance in children with Autism Spectrum disorder: preliminary study

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have cognitive difficulties and delayed development, with deficits in gross and fine motor markers as well as postural balance, leading to poorer quality of life. The objective was to evaluate mental maturity and right-left orientation in children with ASD compared to children with typical development and correlate the findings with balance and gait performance. A convenience sample composed of 21 male and female children between six years and nine years 11 months of age was submitted psychological and functional motor tests. The findings suggest correlations between mental maturity/right-left orientation and functional mobility/balance in children with autism spectrum disorder. The severity of the disorder and mental maturity were correlated with variables that demonstrated motor abnormalities, such as functional balance and gait speed.

Classification of temporal lobe epilepsy based on neuropsychological tests and exploration of its underlying neurobiology.

To assist improving long-term postoperative seizure-free rate, we aimed to use machine learning algorithms based on neuropsychological data to differentiate temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) from extratemporal lobe epilepsy (extraTLE), as well as explore the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological tests. Twenty-three patients with TLE and 23 patients with extraTLE underwent neuropsychological tests and MRI scans before surgery. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were firstly employed for feature selection, and a machine learning approach with neuropsychological tests was employed to classify TLE using leave-one-out cross-validation. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the relationship between brain alterations and neuropsychological tests. We found that logistic regression with the selected neuropsychological tests generated classification accuracies of 87.0%, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89. Three neuropsychological tests were acquired as significant neuropsychological signatures for the diagnosis of TLE. We also found that the Right-Left Orientation Test difference was related to the superior temporal and the banks of the superior temporal sulcus (bankssts). The Conditional Association Learning Test (CALT) was associated with the cortical thickness difference in the lateral orbitofrontal area between the two groups, and the Component Verbal Fluency Test was associated with the cortical thickness difference in the lateral occipital cortex between the two groups. These results showed that machine learning-based classification with the selected neuropsychological data can successfully classify TLE with high accuracy compared to previous studies, which could provide kind of warning sign for surgery candidate of TLE patients. In addition, understanding the mechanism of cognitive behavior by neuroimaging information could assist doctors in the presurgical evaluation of TLE.

A case of developmental pedophilia unmasked by frontotemporal dementia

ABSTRACT A 65-year-old right-handed man gradually became socially indifferent and less active. Four years later, he was indicted for molesting children on multiple occasions. Psychomotor slowness and executive impairment contrasted with sparing of language, semantic memory, visuospatial perception, construction praxis, and right-left orientation. Neuroimaging showed asymmetric atrophy of dorsomedial frontal and anterior temporal lobes, and hypoperfusion of medial prefrontal cortex consistent with a diagnosis of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia. Further information revealed that the patient exhibited pedophilic behavior several years prior to symptom onset. We conclude that preexisting developmental pedophilia was “unmasked” by the underlying progressive frontotemporal degeneration.

The Association between Morphological and Functional Characteristics of the Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Bicuspid Aortopathy

ObjectiveTo identify the association between morphological and functional characteristics of the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and bicuspid aortopathy and to identify the determinants of aortic dilatation using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac computed tomography (CCT).Materials and MethodsThis study included 312 subjects (mean [SD] age, 52.7 [14.3] years; 227 males [72.8%]) who underwent TTE and CCT. The BAVs were classified by anterior-posterior (BAV-AP) or right-left (BAV-RL) orientation of the cusps and divided according to the presence (raphe+) or absence of a raphe (raphe−) based on the CCT and intraoperative findings. The dimensions of the sinus of Valsalva and the proximal ascending aorta were measured by CCT. We assessed the determinants of aortic root and proximal ascending aortic dilatation (size index > 2.1 cm/m2) by Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.ResultsOf the 312 patients, BAV-AP was present in 188 patients (60.3%), and 185 patients (59.3%) were raphe+. Moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis (AS) was the most common hemodynamic abnormality (54.8%). The most common type of aortopathy was the combined dilated root and mid-ascending aortic phenotype (62.5%). On multivariable analysis, age and AS severity were significantly associated with aortic root dilatation (p < 0.05), and age, sex, and AS severity were significantly associated with ascending aortic dilatation (p < 005). However, the orientation of the cusps, presence of a raphe, and severity of aortic regurgitation were not associated with aortic root and ascending aortic dilatation.ConclusionBAV morphological characteristics were not determinants of aortic dilatation. Age, sex, and AS severity were predictors of bicuspid aortopathy. Therefore, age, sex, and AS severity, rather than valve morphology, need to be considered when planning treatment for BAV patients.

Sensory-motor impairments of ipsilesional extremities and its impact on activity limitations following stroke

Background/Aims Stroke can result in various motor and sensory impairments on contralesional as well as ipsilesional limbs. This study examined the impact on activity limitations as a result of sensory and motor impairments of ipsilesional limbs following stroke. Methods A cross-sectional study was used to assess 50 adults with stroke (acute: n=6, subacute: n=10, chronic: n=34) and 50 age- and gender-matched typically healthy adults. The Modified Ashworth Scale, the Brunnstrom Approach, Nottingham Sensory Assessment, Star Cancellation Test, Right-Left Orientation Test, Trunk Impairment Scale, Single Leg Stance Test, and the Fugl Mayer Assessment were used to measure outcomes for ipsilesional side impairments. Activity limitations were scored using the Wisconsin Gait Scale and the Motor Assessment Scale. Results A comparison of all impairments: tonal, voluntary control, sensation, perception, sitting and standing balance, and coordination of the ipsilesional extremity of persons with hemiparesis with corresponding extremity of typically healthy adults using unpaired t-test, showed significant impairment (P&lt;0.05). Every participant with stroke had at least one impairment on their ipsilesional side, with 8% of participants having only one impairment, 36% had two impairments, 28% had three impairments, 18% had four impairments, 8% had five impairments and 2% had all six impairments on their ipsilesional side. The percentage of participants with stroke presenting with trunk impairment was highest (100%) and that of voluntary control impairment was lowest (24%) on their ipsilesional side. The relationship between identified impairments and activity limitations was calculated using Pearson’s correlation at 0.05 level, which showed a moderate negative correlation with the Wisconsin Gait Scale and a moderate positive correlation with the Motor Assessment Scale. Conclusions Ipsilesional impairments present in people with hemiparesis have a significant impact on the activity limitation; hence it is necessary to address ipsilesional impairments along with contralesional impairments.

Impairments to Body Image in Meningioma of the Parietal-Occipital Area

Objectives. To study impairments to body image in patients with typical meningioma of the parietal-occipital area before and after surgical treatment. Materials and methods. A total of 23 patients with diagnosis of “typical meningioma of the parietal-occipital area” were studied. A set of neuropsychological tests was used, along with the “Image-I” dissociation method and the “Silhouette” method. Results and conclusions. Derangements to body image were found in patients with meningioma of the parietal-occipital area, these being apparent as disorders of left-right orientation and impairment to the positioning of body parts in space and relative to each other, along with mismatch between objective weight and height values and subjective views of the individuals’ own bodies. After surgery, orientation in the body improved significantly, with clear differentiation of the positions of body parts relative to each other, an appropriate relationship between the positions of the two hands, and error-free right-left orientation. Own-body perceptions became more appropriate in relation to the number of body parts and their sizes, though people’s views on their own body types generally remained inappropriate.

Do already grasped objects activate motor affordances?

This study investigated whether in a stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) task affordance effects in response to picture of graspable objects emerge when these objects appear as already grasped. It also assessed whether the observed effects could be explained as due to spatial compatibility between the most salient part in the object/display and the hand of response rather than to action potentiation. To this aim, we conducted three behavioural experiments in which participants were required to discriminate the vertical orientation (upright vs. inverted) of an object presented in the centre of the screen, while ignoring the right-left orientation of its handle. The object could be presented alone, as already grasped, as partially masked (Experiment 1) or with a human hand close to its graspable side (Experiment 2). In addition, to assess the role of perceptual salience, the object could be presented with a human hand or anon-biological (a geometrical shape) distractor located opposite to the object's graspable side. Results showed faster responses when the object's handle was located on the same side of the responding hand with a larger effect when upright objects were shown as already grasped (Experiment 1) or when a hand was displayed close to its handle (Experiment 2), and a smaller reversed effect when the hand or the geometrical shape was located opposite to the handled side (Experiment 3). We interpreted these findings as indicating that handle orientation effects emerging in SRCtasks may result from the interplay between motor affordance and spatial compatibility mechanisms.

Disturbance of body image in patients with meningiomas of parieto-occipital localization

To study body image disturbances in patients with typical meningioma of parietal-occipital localization before and after surgery. Twenty-three patients with the diagnosis of «typical meningioma of parietal-occipital localization» were studied. A battery of neuropsychological tests, dissociation methodology of «Image-I» and the method «Silhouette» were used. The body schema disorders were found in patients with meningioma of parietal-occipital area. There was the disturbance of the right-left orientation and position of body parts in space and in relation to each other as well as the disparity between the overall weight and height objective indicators and subjective perceptions of the body. After surgery, the body orientation was significantly improved. The distinct differentiation of the position of body parts relative to one another, adequate correlation between the position of two hands and unerring left-right orientation were seen. Perceptions of the body became more adequate for the number of body parts and their size, but the person's own ideas about the constitution as a whole remained inadequate.

Abstract WP121: Brain Structures Anormalites Detected By Voxel Based Morphometry In Individuals With Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

Background: Studies of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis have shown significant cognitive decline in this individuals compared to groups without stenosis. Our study aims to investigate the occurrence of subtle gray and white matter decrease in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis through Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis. Methods: Twenty-seven patients (7 women, mean age of 71 years, range 51- 78 years) with unilateral asymptomatic carotid stenosis (&gt;70%) or occlusion, defined by angiotomography (CTA), were submitted to MRI and images were analyzed with VBM. MR images were acquired on a 3T-MR scanner, with sequence 3D sagittal T1-weighted (voxel size 1x1x1 mm,TR = 22 ms, TE = 9 ms, flip angle = 35°, matrix = 256x220). Images of patients with left carotid stenosis were flipped in the right-left orientation thus all hemispheres ipsilateral to the stenosis were aligned. For statistical comparisons, we used images of 27 healthy control subjects matched for sex and age with patient group (7 women, mean age of 68 years, range 54-82). VBM analysis was performed with VBM8/SPM8 toolbox (two-sample T-Test, P&lt;0.001 uncorrected). Results: VBM analysis demonstrated significant and diffuse gray matter reduction in both hemispheres of patient group. However, these abnormalities were more pronounced in the area correspondent to the anterior circulation of the hemisphere ipsilateral to the carotid stenosis. In contrast, white matter abnormalities detected by VBM were less evident and with symmetrical distribution in both hemispheres. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that asymptomatic carotid stenosis/occlusion is associated with subtle gray matter reduction predominantly in the ipsilateral hemisphere. This is in accordance with previous data demonstrating cognitive decline in these patients and it may imply that there is significant hemodynamic disturbance secondary to these stenosis.

Meeting an “impossible challenge” in semantic dementia: Outstanding performance in numerical Sudoku and quantitative number knowledge.

This study describes a follow-up investigation of numerical abilities and visuospatial memory in a patient suffering from semantic dementia whose progressive decline of semantic memory variably affected different types of knowledge. Crucially, we investigated in detail her outstanding performance with Sudoku that has been only anecdotally reported in the previous literature. We tested spatial cognition and memory, body representation, number processing, calculation, and Sudoku tasks, and we compared the patient's performance with that of matched controls. In agreement with the neuroanatomical data, showing substantial sparing of the parietal lobes in the face of severe atrophy of the temporal (and frontal) regions, we report full preservation of skills known to be supported by intact parietal-basal ganglia networks, and impaired knowledge related to long-term stored declarative information mediated by temporal regions. Performance in tasks sensitive to parietal dysfunction (such as right-left orientation, finger gnosis, writing, and visuospatial memory) was normal; within the numerical domain, preserved quantity-based number knowledge dissociated from increasing difficulties with nonquantitative number knowledge (such as knowledge of encyclopedic and personal number facts) and arithmetic facts knowledge. This case confirms the relation between numbers and space, and, although indirectly, their anatomical correlates, underlining which abilities are preserved in the case of severe semantic loss. In addition, although Sudoku is not inherently numerical, the patient was able to solve even the most difficult pattern, provided that it required digits and not letters, showing that digits have, in any case, a specific status.

태권도 찍어차기의 무릎편 유형과 구부린 유형의 운동학적 비교분석

The study was to investigate kinematic difference between flexed and extended type of knee during Jigeo-Cha-Gi in Taekwon-Do. For this subjects participated were consisted of weights of fin (1), bantam (1) and welter class(1) of male 3 national representative level skilled in two type(flexed and extended type) of Jigeo-Cha-Gi. 3D cinematography analysis was performed for motion analysis and Kwon 3D ver. 3.1) was used for 3D coordinates & analysis variables calculation. In Temporal variable there was no significant difference statistically in all phases & total elapsed time between flexed and extended type, but flexed type was delayed more 0.016 sec than extended type. In displacement of COG there was significant difference in level of p<.05 showing longer mean 6.13 cm in case of flexed type than extended type in displacement of COG during all phase and too significant difference in level of p<.01 showing longer mean 4.4 cm in case of flexed type than extended type in displacement of COG in follow through phase. In velocity of COG there was significant difference in level of p<.001 showing higher mean 15.53cm/s in case of flexed type than extended type in velocity of COG(Y direction) during targeting phase and peak velocity(Y) was more fast 8.74 cm/s in extended type than flexed type. In velocity of leading leg in forward direction(Y) there was significant difference in level of p<.05 showing higher thigh mean value in case of flexed type than extended type but showing higher foot mean value in extended type at level of p<.001 than flexed type in velocity of COG(Y direction). In velocity of leading leg in vertical direction(Z) there was no significant difference in the second & third phase in case of vertical velocity level, but momentum transferred efficiently form proximal to distal endpoint. In front-back & right-left orientation angle of trunk there was possibility of more stable Jigeo-Cha-Gi in extended than flexed type by decreasing in right-left orientation angle of trunk. In relative angle of lower leg(hip, knee, ankle) there was significant difference in level of p<.001 showing longer mean 32.74 deg. in case of flexed type than extended type in hip joint during the second phase but maintained insufficient extended knee of mean 168 deg. in targeting phase.

The effects of encoding task on age-related differences in the functional neuroanatomy of face memory.

Age-related differences in brain activity mediating face recognition were examined using positron emission tomography. Participants encoded faces using a pleasant-unpleasant judgment, a right-left orientation task, and intentional learning. Scans also were obtained during recognition. Both young and old groups showed signficant effects of encoding task on recognition accuracy, but older adults showed reduced accuracy overall. Increased brain activity in older adults was similar to that seen in young adults during conditions associated with deeper processing, but was reduced during the shallow encoding and recognition conditions. Left prefrontal activity was less in older adults during encoding, but greater during recognition. Differential correlations of brain activity and behavior were found that suggest older adults use unique neural systems to facilitate face memory.

Pain referral patterns in the pelvis

To determine if right-left pelvic pain orientation exists in all patients, and to estimate the frequency of pain referral patterns in the pelvis. Prospective, nonrandomized trial (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). University-affiliated hospital. One hundred consecutive women with no pain undergoing tubal sterilization or investigation of infertility (group A) were compared with 225 women with chronic pelvic pain of greater than 6 months' duration (group B). Patient-assisted laparoscopy with intravenous conscious sedation and pelvic pain mapping. Of women in group A, 69% had correct right-left orientation, 18% had pain perceived on the opposite side of the abdomen, and 31% had pain referred to another location in the abdomen. The results were similar in women in group B, 65% of whom had correct orientation, 15% had pain perceived on the opposite side of the abdomen, and 35% had pain referred to another location. This demonstrates the need to ask on which side a woman feels pain during physical examination. It is not correct to assume that an answer of "yes" means the same side of the pelvis that is being examined. Patient-assisted laparoscopy and pelvic pain mapping are excellent in correlating the symptom with the pathology.

Right-left orientation, mental rotation, and perspective-taking: when can children imagine what people see from their own viewpoint?

Right-left orientation, mental rotation, and perspective-taking were examined in a group of 406 subjects ranging from 5 to 11 yr. of age with equal numbers of children in each age group. Immediate recognition was not a difficult task as even young children succeeded adequately on the three tasks involving different images. Right-left identification, where right and left terms are used, was harder even for the oldest subjects when associated with mental rotation. When children had to identify which image a person would see from another viewpoint, they succeeded when the person was looking away in the same direction as they were looking. When the person was facing the children (in the opposite direction of "forward"), three different behaviors emerged which indicated absence or presence of mental rotation in perspective-taking. Young subjects chose images as if the figures in the image were seeing from the subject's viewpoint; this percentage diminished slowly across increased ages. As subjects' ages increased, more chose the correct image. Even at 11 years of age, however, only half of the subjects chose correctly. Finally, an equal percentage of subjects among the different age groups understood that the person was seeing a different orientation of the persons but did not associate this with the correct right-left position of the persons on the image. This transition most probably reflects the slow evolution of cognitive processes which determine the way the child will use references to internal or external frameworks. It illustrates as well the passage from egocentrism to geocentrism with the ability to consider viewpoints other than one's own.

163. - Test-retest stability of the neurologic examination in schizophrenia

Although ncurologic exam nbnonnalitics (NEA) arc gcnernlly :lssumed to represent static lesions, the accuracy of this assumption in schizophrenia is unknown. Several studies have found significant temporal inslttbility of NEA. but have done so acm...s pcriods of major change in lre:llmcnt ami clinical slllie. To identify [he particular NEA t1:~t tend to be stable over time, this study examined test-retest stability of NEA in two groups of chronic schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients. Seven stable medicated patients cnrolled in II longitudinal study of schizophrc. nill were examincd twice across a period of stable medication and clinical Slate (interval 46 :!: 23 days). using a modific:llion of Buchanan & Heinrichs' (19&9) Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Thirteen smble medicated patientI'; in a different study were also administered the NES while under similar medication and clinical conditions. before and aCler a period of medication withdrawal (107 :!: 48 d<lYs). Agreement of ordinal data wa.~ assessed with Kappa and of continuous data with intrJcla.~s (olTclation. or the 25 individual NES ilems with adequate cross-sectional intemucr reliability. only three (lam.lcm gait. right-left orientation lind face-hand test) showed high ogrecment in bolh samples, with cleven proving stable in one of the two samples. With repctilive motor lask.s, measures of spct;d {limll to completion) were more stable lhan measures of accuracy (error counls). In spile of effort to control for clinical slale lind mediCl1lion status, these dala show considerable variation across time in most NBA, and demons Irate the imporlance of delermining lhe lest-relellt stability of individual NBA before proceeding with further analysis,

Disturbed visuo-spatial orientation in the early stage of Alzheimer's dementia.

A pilot study was conducted to assess previously unrecognized visuo-spatial disturbances in 45 Alzheimer's demented (AD) patients and 59 control persons all over the age of 65 years, living in the community. The results of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) revealed high frequency (78%) of deficient performative visuo-spatial skills of mild and moderate demented AD patients. The severity of dementia was found to be a good predictor of the deficit in visuoconstructive performance. The most frequent drawing mistakes were the misplacement of numbers and clock hands, which may relate to dysfunctions of the right inferior parietal cortex. The right-left orientation (RLO) for the own body was not deteriorated in AD patients. However, significantly lower scores for RLO in the mental rotation subtest were found in mild and moderate AD groups. There were large inter-individual differences in the test scores of both demented groups. Thirty-one percent and 49% of the AD patients scored 0 points or within the normal range (more than 4 points), respectively, indicating a pseudofocal onset pattern of the dementia. The results of the CDT and Right-Left Orientation Test (RLOT) with Mental rotation showed significant positive correlation with other cognitive functions of Mini Mental State Exam, such as attention-calculation, recall and writing, and indicate that the visuo-spatial orientation (VSO) is a composite of different cognitive skills. The CDT and RLOT appears to be a useful tool for screening the elderly for disturbed VSO.

Right-left orientation: development of correct use of right and left terms.

Right-left orientation includes discrimination and recognition as well as identification, the former two differentiating between symmetrical cues and the latter using the words right and left. In the present experiment involving 406 children, the evolution of the knowledge and use of the concepts of right and left were assessed. Discrimination and recognition on all tasks used in this study are mastered much earlier than verbal identification, and, at even 11 years of age, half of the subjects of the present study still did not apply the words right and left properly onto other persons in the milieu. Children use the words right and left correctly first on their own bodies as early as seven years of age, then on people facing away, and finally on people facing them around eight to nine years of age. This transition most probably reflects the slow evolution of cognitive processes which determine the way the child will use internal or external frameworks as well as the passage from egocentrism to "alteregocentrism" with ability to consider other viewpoints than one's own.

Detection of Deficits in Temporal Pattern Discrimination Using the Seashore Rhythm Test in Young Children with Reading Impairments

A deficiency in temporal pattern discrimination frequently is a distinguishing characteristic of children with dyslexia or learning disabilities (LD). We studied the feasibility of using the Seashore Rhythm Test, a subtest of the Halstead-Reitan neurological assessment battery (Halstead, 1947), with young children to discriminate children with reading impairments from age-matched controls reading at a normal level, in an effort to develop tools to determine readiness to read in young school-age children. Major considerations in test selection were ease of administration and wide use and acceptance. Fifty-nine children in Grades 1 through 3 were administered a battery of tests during the last 3 weeks of the school year by blinded experimenters. Tests administered included the Seashore Rhythm Test, Benton Visual Retention Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Blau Torque Test, and the Rod and Frame Test. Children with reading impairments (n = 24) in all age groups were found to exhibit a marked deficit in the ability to discriminate patterned pairs of tones on the Seashore Rhythm Test compared to controls (n = 26). These children also exhibited deficits in right-left orientation, as indicated by their poor performance on the Blau Torque Test. Performance on the Seashore and the Blau by a group of children diagnosed as learning disabled (n = 9) was similar to the group with reading impairments. No significant differences between controls and children with reading impairments or LD were observed in Rod and Frame or Benton performance. The results suggest that the Seashore Rhythm Test may prove to be a useful tool to detect young children who will later show signs of reading impairment.