Cortical folding is altered before surgery in infants with congenital heart disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

• Congenital heart disease (CHD) significantly impacts infant development.
• Altered brain development is a known complication in infants with CHD.
• Cortical folding is a crucial indicator of neurodevelopmental trajectory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize cortical folding patterns in infants diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
• To identify specific regions of the brain exhibiting developmental alterations in relation to CHD.
• To ascertain whether these cortical abnormalities are detectable before surgical correction.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced neuroimaging techniques to assess brain structure.
• Quantified cortical surface area and folding metrics in a cohort of infants with CHD.
• Compared brain development parameters against normative data or control groups.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a significant overall decrease in cortical surface area among infants with CHD.
• Observed reduced cortical folding across multiple brain regions.
• Identified specific regional alterations, including the right lateral sulcus, left orbitofrontal region, cingulate region, and central sulcus.
• Confirmed the presence of these neurodevelopmental abnormalities prior to surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

• Infants with congenital heart disease exhibit distinct alterations in cortical development.
• Reduced cortical surface area and folding are key neurodevelopmental features associated with CHD.
• These brain abnormalities are detectable early in life, preceding surgical treatment, highlighting the need for early neurodevelopmental assessment in this population.