Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
Studying Brain Function in Children Using Magnetoencephalography
Published on: April 8, 2019
Brain Development of Children With Single Ventricle Physiology or Transposition of the Great Arteries: A Longitudinal
Akiko Hiraiwa1, Yukako Kawasaki2, Keijiro Ibuki1
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
Insights
Children with single ventricle (SV) heart defects have smaller brain volumes than those with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Early brain volume predicts later cognitive function in these pediatric heart patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Congenital heart disease (CHD) impacts neurodevelopment.
- Single ventricle (SV) and transposition of the great arteries (TGA) are critical CHD types.
- Longitudinal neuroanatomic and developmental data in these populations are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate neuroanatomic brain development with developmental outcomes in children with SV or TGA.
- To compare brain volumes and growth trajectories between SV and TGA patients.
- To identify predictors of cognitive function in children with CHD.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study of 27 children (9 TGA, 18 SV) and 48 controls.
- 3D MRI and neurodevelopmental assessments at preschool (3 years) and school age (9 years).
- Comparison of brain volumes to age-matched controls and correlation analysis.
Main Results:
- SV patients had significantly smaller total brain volume (TBV) and regional volumes than TGA patients at both time points.
- SV patients showed lower psychomotor index at preschool age, but similar full-scale IQ at school age compared to TGA.
- TBV at 3 years strongly predicted TBV at 9 years for both SV and TGA groups.
- A significant correlation was found between full-scale IQ and TBV at 9 years (r=0.49, P=0.005).
Conclusions:
- Children with SV consistently exhibit smaller brain volumes through age 9, despite similar growth slopes to TGA.
- Early brain volume (at 3 years) is a strong predictor of later brain volume and cognitive function (IQ at 9 years).
- Interventions targeting brain growth before age 3 are crucial for improving school-age cognitive outcomes in children with SV and TGA.
Abstract:
To define the correlation between neuroanatomic and developmental outcomes of children with single ventricle (SV) or transposition of the great arteries (TGA), a prospective longitudinal study was performed in preschool and school-age children. Twenty-seven children with congenital heart disease (9, TGA; 18, SV) were included. Participants underwent 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurodevelopmental assessment at around 3 years (preschool age) and at 9 years (school age), and 48 healthy controls underwent MRI, and their data were used to derive best-fit models for normal brain volumes for comparisons with congenital heart disease patients. Total brain volume (TBV) and regional brain volumes remained significantly smaller in SV children than in TGA children at both time points, though the growth slope of TBV was not significantly different between the SV and TGA groups. Although the psychomotor developmental index at preschool was significantly lower in SV patients, the full-scale IQ at school age was not significantly lower in SV patients. There was a strong correlation between full-scale IQ and TBV (r = 0.49, P = 0.005). Despite the current best practices, persistently lower TBV was seen in SV patients until 9 years of age. For both the SV and TGA groups, TBV at 3 years was a strong predictor of TBV at 9 years. Since there was a correlation between TBV and IQ at 9 years, identification of factors that affect brain growth until 3 years will be imperative to improve patients' cognitive function at school age.
Related Concept Videos
02:13Overview of Transposition and Recombination
01:18Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
01:26Longitudinal Studies
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:11Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
02:30Naturalistic Observations