Brain injury and development in newborns with critical congenital heart disease.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the relationship between radiologically identifiable brain injuries and delayed brain development as reflected by brain metabolic and microstructural integrity.

Methods

Term newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) (120 preoperatively and 104 postoperatively) were studied with MRI to determine brain injury severity (BIS), microstructure reflected by fractional anisotropy (FA) and average diffusivity (Dav), and metabolism reflected by N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/choline (Cho) and lactate/Cho. Brain development is characterized by increasing NAA/Cho and white matter FA, and by decreasing Dav and lactate/Cho.

Results

Newly acquired brain injury was common (41% preoperative, 30% postoperative). Lower white matter FA (p = 0.005) and lower NAA/Cho (p

SUBMITTER: Dimitropoulos A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3770166 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature