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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
Phonological and visuo-spatial working memory alterations in dyslexic children
A Poblano1, T Valadéz-Tepec, M de Lourdes Arias
1Laboratorio de Fisiología, Instituto de la Comunicación Humana, Mexico, D.F., Mexico. apoblano@df1.telmex.net.mx
Background:
Working memory allows the retention of a limited amount of information for a brief period of time and the manipulation of that information. This study was undertaken to compare possible differences in working memory between dyslexic and control children.
Methods:
To test the executive central process that controls attention, subjects were requested to assemble a 100-piece puzzle. To test the phonological loop, subjects were requested to repeat orally a 10-item list with the following characteristics: digits spanning two numbers; phonologically similar words, and unfamiliar pseudowords. The visuo-spatial sketchpad was tested by means of assembling a 25-piece puzzle.
Results:
Forty dyslexic and and forty control children were studied. Dyslexic children recall a lesser number of similar words in the phonological loop and spend a longer time in puzzle assembly in the visuo-spatial sketchpad. No statistical difference in the central executive process was found.
Conclusions:
Present results suggest the importance of visuo-spatial and phonological loop alterations in dyslexic children that may result in difficulties with similar words and spatial information.
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