RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Characterizing the Subcortical Structures in Youth with Congenital Heart Disease
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 1503
OP 1508
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A6667
VO 41
IS 8
A1 K. Fontes
A1 F. Courtin
A1 C.V. Rohlicek
A1 C. Saint-Martin
A1 G. Gilbert
A1 K. Easson
A1 A. Majnemer
A1 A. Marelli
A1 M.M. Chakravarty
A1 M. Brossard-Racine
YR 2020
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/41/8/1503.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Congenital heart disease is a leading cause of neurocognitive impairment. Many subcortical structures are known to play a crucial role in higher-order cognitive processing. However, comprehensive anatomic characterization of these structures is currently lacking in the congenital heart disease population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the morphometry and volume of the globus pallidus, striatum, and thalamus between youth born with congenital heart disease and healthy peers.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited youth between 16 and 24 years of age born with congenital heart disease who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass surgery before 2 years of age (n = 48) and healthy controls of the same age (n = 48). All participants underwent a brain MR imaging to acquire high-resolution 3D T1-weighted images.RESULTS: Smaller surface area and inward bilateral displacement across the lateral surfaces of the globus pallidus were concentrated anteriorly in the congenital heart disease group compared with controls (q < 0.15). On the lateral surfaces of bilateral thalami, we found regions of both larger and smaller surface areas, as well as inward and outward displacement in the congenital heart disease group compared with controls (q < 0.15). We did not find any morphometric differences between groups for the striatum. For the volumetric analyses, only the right globus pallidus showed a significant volume reduction (q < 0.05) in the congenital heart disease group compared with controls.CONCLUSIONS: This study reports morphometric alterations in youth with congenital heart disease in the absence of volume reductions, suggesting that volume alone is not sufficient to detect and explain subtle neuroanatomic differences in this clinical population.CHDcongenital heart disease