Neuroimaging, cardiovascular physiology, and functional outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease

Therapeutic value of patent foramen ovale closure for drug-resistant epilepsy: A case series report

OBJECTIVE

Closure surgery of patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been found to effectively control cryptogenic stroke and migraine, but it is uncertain whether PFO closure could also alleviate epileptic seizures. This study aims to observe the therapeutic effect of PFO closure on epileptic seizures.

METHODS

Since July 11th, 2017, in the neurology department of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, we have been regularly monitoring patients with epilepsy who have undergone PFO closure. The patient's clinical information, such as frequency, duration, and severity of seizures, before and after surgery was recorded in detail as well as postoperative safety events.

RESULTS

Of the 31 epilepsy patients who confirmed PFO observed (27 cases were drug-resistant epilepsy, 87.10%), average age of surgery was 23.74 years, and 12 cases were female (38.71%). After one-year follow-up, 26 patients (83.87%) achieved remission of seizure frequency, and 22 of whom (70.97%) experienced a remission of more than 50%. Additionally, compared to before surgery, 22 cases (70.97%) reported a decrease in the average seizure duration, and 20 cases (64.52%) reported a reduction in seizure severity. In the seizure indicators of frequency, average duration and severity, significant differences were identified between preoperative and postoperative comparisons with all test p values were <0.05. Furthermore, no serious safety events were reported except for one patient who briefly reported chest pain, and all patients expressed effective PFO closure.

SIGNIFICANCE

The PFO closure has been shown for the first time to result in a significant reduction in the frequency, duration, and severity of seizures. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and PFO with a large shunt are ideal candidates for undergoing PFO closure.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Since PFO closure was found to have a good therapeutic effect on cryptogenic stroke and migraine, it has become a credible complementary therapy for the treatment of neurological diseases, and drug-resistant epilepsy with PFO is expected to become the next target disease that PFO closure could significantly improve.

Perioperative Brain Injury in Relation to Early Neurodevelopment Among Children with Severe Congenital Heart Disease: Results from a European Collaboration

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between perioperative brain injury and neurodevelopment during early childhood in patients with severe congenital heart disease (CHD).

STUDY DESIGN

One hundred and seventy children with CHD and born at term who required cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in the first 6 weeks after birth were recruited from 3 European centers and underwent preoperative and postoperative brain MRIs. Uniform description of imaging findings was performed and an overall brain injury score was created, based on the sum of the worst preoperative or postoperative brain injury subscores. Motor and cognitive outcomes were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition at 12 to 30 months of age. The relationship between brain injury score and clinical outcome was assessed using multiple linear regression analysis, adjusting for CHD severity, length of hospital stay (LOS), socioeconomic status (SES), and age at follow-up.

RESULTS

Neither the overall brain injury score nor any of the brain injury subscores correlated with motor or cognitive outcome. The number of preoperative white matter lesions was significantly associated with gross motor outcome after correction for multiple testing (P = .013, β = -0.50). SES was independently associated with cognitive outcome (P < .001, β = 0.26), and LOS with motor outcome (P < .001, β = -0.35).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative white matter lesions appear to be the most predictive MRI marker for adverse early childhood gross motor outcome in this large European cohort of infants with severe CHD. LOS as a marker of disease severity, and SES influence outcome and future intervention trials need to address these risk factors.

Angiogenic imbalance in maternal and cord blood is associated with neonatal birth weight and head circumference in pregnancies with major fetal congenital heart defect

OBJECTIVES

To ascertain whether abnormalities in neonatal head circumference and/or body weight are associated with levels of angiogenic/antiangiogenic factors in the maternal and cord blood of pregnancies with a congenital heart defect (CHD) and to assess whether the specific type of CHD influences this association.

METHODS

This was a multicenter case-control study of women carrying a fetus with major CHD. Recruitment was carried out between June 2010 and July 2018 at four tertiary care hospitals in Spain. Maternal venous blood was drawn at study inclusion and at delivery. Cord blood samples were obtained at birth when possible. Placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and soluble endoglin (sEng) were measured in maternal and cord blood. Biomarker concentrations in the maternal blood were expressed as multiples of the median (MoM).

RESULTS

PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng levels were measured in the maternal blood in 237 cases with CHD and 260 healthy controls, and in the cord blood in 150 cases and 56 controls. Compared with controls, median PlGF MoM in maternal blood was significantly lower in the CHD group (0.959 vs 1.022; P < 0.0001), while median sFlt-1/PlGF ratio MoM was significantly higher (1.032 vs 0.974; P = 0.0085) and no difference was observed in sEng MoM (0.981 vs 1.011; P = 0.4673). Levels of sFlt-1 and sEng were significantly higher in cord blood obtained from fetuses with CHD compared to controls (mean ± standard error of the mean, 447 ± 51 vs 264 ± 20 pg/mL; P = 0.0470 and 8.30 ± 0.92 vs 5.69 ± 0.34 ng/mL; P = 0.0430, respectively). Concentrations of sFlt-1 and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in the maternal blood at study inclusion were associated negatively with birth weight and head circumference in the CHD group. The type of CHD anomaly (valvular, conotruncal or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction) did not appear to alter these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancies with fetal CHD have an antiangiogenic profile in maternal and cord blood. This imbalance is adversely associated with neonatal head circumference and birth weight. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Early weight measures and long-term neuropsychological outcome of critically ill neonates and infants: a secondary analysis of the PEPaNIC trial

Neonates and infants surviving critical illness show impaired growth during critical illness and are at risk for later neuropsychological impairments. Early identification of individuals most at risk is needed to provide tailored long-term follow-up and care. The research question is whether early growth during hospitalization is associated with growth and neuropsychological outcomes in neonates and infants after pediatric intensive care unit admission (PICU). This is a secondary analysis of the PEPaNIC trial. Weight measurements upon PICU admission, at PICU discharge, at hospital discharge, at 2- and 4-year follow-up, and of different subgroups were compared using (paired) t-tests. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between early growth in weight measures and neuropsychological outcomes at 4-year follow-up. One hundred twenty-one infants were included, and median age upon admission was 21 days. Growth in weight per week was less than the age-appropriate norm, resulting in a decrease in weight-for-age Z-score during hospitalization. Weight is normalized at 2- and 4-year follow-up. Weight gain in kilograms per week and change in weight Z-score were not associated with neurodevelopmental outcome measures at 4-year follow-up. Lower weight-for-age Z-score at PICU admission and at hospital discharge was associated only with lower weight and height Z-scores at 4-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Growth in weight during hospital stay of young survivors of critical illness is impaired. Worse early growth in weight is associated with lower weight and height but not with neuropsychological outcomes at 4-year follow-up.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Critically ill neonates and infants show impaired early growth during admission and are at risk for later neuropsychological impairments. • Unraveling the association between early growth and later neuropsychological impairments is crucial since the first year of life is critical for brain development.

WHAT IS NEW

• Critically ill neonates and infants had age appropriate weight measures at 4-year follow-up. • Poor growth in weight during hospital stay was not associated with poorer cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning four years after critical illness.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of children diagnosed with CHD compared to children born very preterm

OBJECTIVE

To compare neurodevelopmental outcomes and parent behaviour ratings of children born term with CHD to children born very preterm.

METHODS

A clinical research sample of 181 children (CHD [n = 81]; very preterm [≤32 weeks; n = 100]) was assessed at 18 months.

RESULTS

Children with CHD and born very preterm did not differ on Bayley-III cognitive, language, or motor composite scores, or on expressive or receptive language, or on fine motor scaled scores. Children with CHD had lower ross motor scaled scores compared to children born very preterm (p = 0.047). More children with CHD had impaired scores (<70 SS) on language composite (17%), expressive language (16%), and gross motor (14%) indices compared to children born very preterm (6%; 7%; 3%; ps < 0.05). No group differences were found on behaviours rated by parents on the Child Behaviour Checklist (1.5-5 years) or the proportion of children with scores above the clinical cutoff. English as a first language was associated with higher cognitive (p = 0.004) and language composite scores (p < 0.001). Lower median household income and English as a second language were associated with higher total behaviour problems (ps < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with CHD were more likely to display language and motor impairment compared to children born very preterm at 18 months. Outcomes were associated with language spoken in the home and household income.

Early brain magnetic resonance imaging findings and neurodevelopmental outcome in children with congenital heart disease: A systematic review

AIM

To investigate the association between early brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and neurodevelopmental outcome (NDO) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

METHOD

A search for studies was conducted in Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Observational and interventional studies were included, in which patients with CHD underwent surgery before 2 months of age, a brain MRI scan in the first year of life, and neurodevelopmental assessment beyond the age of 1 year.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies were included. Thirteen found an association between either quantitative or qualitative brain metrics and NDO: 5 out of 7 studies showed decreased brain volume was significantly associated with worse NDO, as did 7 out of 10 studies on brain injury. Scanning protocols and neurodevelopmental tests varied strongly.

INTERPRETATION

Reduced brain volume and brain injury in patients with CHD can be associated with impaired NDO, yet standardized scanning protocols and neurodevelopmental assessment are needed to further unravel trajectories of impaired brain development and its effects on outcome.

Functional networks of working memory abilities in children with complex congenital heart disease: a sleep EEG study

Working memory is frequently impaired in children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), but little is known about the functional neuronal correlates. Sleep slow wave activity (SWA; 1-4.5 Hz EEG power) has previously been shown to reliably map neurofunctional networks of cognitive abilities in children with and without neurodevelopmental impairments. This study investigated whether functional networks of working memory abilities are altered in children with complex CHD using EEG recordings during sleep. Twenty-one children with complex CHD (aged 10.9 [SD: 0.3] years) and 17 typically-developing peers (10.5 [0.7] years) completed different working memory tasks and an overnight high-density sleep EEG recording (128 electrodes). The combined working memory score tended to be lower in children with complex CHD (CHD group: -0.44 [1.12], typically-developing group: 0.55 [1.24], d = 0.59, p = .06). The working memory score and sleep SWA of the first hour of deep sleep were correlated over similar brain regions in both groups: Strong positive associations were found over prefrontal and fronto-parietal brain regions - known to be part of the working memory network - and strong negative associations were found over central brain regions. Within these working memory networks, the associations between working memory abilities and sleep SWA (r between -.36 and .58, all p < .03) were not different between the two groups (no interactions, all p > .05). The current findings suggest that sleep SWA reliably maps working memory networks in children with complex CHD and that these functional networks are generally preserved in these patients.

Cognitive function in adults with Fontan palliation versus acyanotic CHD patients and association with health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND

Impairments and developmental delay are often reported in infants and young children with CHD. However, currently, there is no data regarding cognitive abilities assessed by standardised intelligence tests in adults with CHD. This study assesses the cognitive function in Fontan patients compared with acyanotic CHD patients whether restrictions in cognitive function are present in adulthood and its association with health-related quality of life.

METHODS

Forty-four adult CHD (female n = 21 (47.7%); mean age 34.7 ± 11.9 years), 22 with Fontan circulation and 22 with acyanotic CHD, underwent the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for adults as patients during routine follow-up in 2018. The Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) assessed health-related quality of life.

RESULTS

Fontan patients showed significantly better results in the FSIQ (p = 0.020) and perceptual reasoning (p = 0.017) in comparison with patients with acyanotic CHD. All adult CHD patients showed normal IQ in subscales and full-scale IQ (FSIQ). In health-related quality of life, no association with cognitive function was found and no significant difference between both CHD groups, but trends to reduced values in acyanotic adult CHD.

CONCLUSIONS

Interestingly, our study results in adult Fontan patients showed that it is possible to live an adult life with normal cognitive function and good health-related quality of life with a univentricular heart. Thus, this study could be a guidepost for more in-depth studies on cognitive function in Fontan survivors. In addition, the focus should be on health-related quality of life of adult CHD with simple CHD in particular, since a reduced health-related quality of life is not only medically based.

A Descriptive Analysis of Febrile Seizure Hospitalizations in Children with Congenital Heart Disease in the United States

BACKGROUND

Febrile seizure (FS) is the most common convulsive disorder in children. This study analyzed the national proportion of congenital heart disease (CHD) and hospital resource utilization among children admitted for FSs in the U.S.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of pediatric patients up to six years with a primary diagnosis of FS in 2016 and 2019 using the Kids Inpatient Database (KID). The demographic, hospital, and clinical characteristics of children with and without CHD were compared using the chi-square test for categorical variables and linear regressions for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of CHD on the mean length of hospital stay.

RESULTS

An estimated 10,039 children were admitted with the primary diagnosis of FS. Out of these, 117 (1.2%) had a discharge diagnosis of CHD. The mean age for children with and without CHD was 1.4 years (SD 1.60) and 1.5 years (SD 1.501), respectively. Children with CHD who required hospitalization for FS had longer mean lengths of hospital stay (2.1 days vs. 1.6 days), with an adjusted odd ratio of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.07-0.99; p-value: 0.017). Similarly, the hospital charges for children with CHD were higher than those without CHD ($30,960.28 vs. $21,005.11).

CONCLUSION

Children with CHD who required inpatient admission for FSs in the U.S. were associated with increased length of hospital stay and higher resource utilization when compared with those without CHD. This highlights the need for preventive measures among this vulnerable population.

Continuous Data-Driven Monitoring in Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Clinical Deterioration Model Development

BACKGROUND

Critical congenital heart disease (cCHD)-requiring cardiac intervention in the first year of life for survival-occurs globally in 2-3 of every 1000 live births. In the critical perioperative period, intensive multimodal monitoring at a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is warranted, as their organs-especially the brain-may be severely injured due to hemodynamic and respiratory events. These 24/7 clinical data streams yield large quantities of high-frequency data, which are challenging in terms of interpretation due to the varying and dynamic physiology innate to cCHD. Through advanced data science algorithms, these dynamic data can be condensed into comprehensible information, reducing the cognitive load on the medical team and providing data-driven monitoring support through automated detection of clinical deterioration, which may facilitate timely intervention.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a clinical deterioration detection algorithm for PICU patients with cCHD.

METHODS

Retrospectively, synchronous per-second data of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO₂) and 4 vital parameters (respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and invasive mean blood pressure) in neonates with cCHD admitted to the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, between 2002 and 2018 were extracted. Patients were stratified based on mean oxygen saturation during admission to account for physiological differences between acyanotic and cyanotic cCHD. Each subset was used to train our algorithm in classifying data as either stable, unstable, or sensor dysfunction. The algorithm was designed to detect combinations of parameters abnormal to the stratified subpopulation and significant deviations from the patient's unique baseline, which were further analyzed to distinguish clinical improvement from deterioration. Novel data were used for testing, visualized in detail, and internally validated by pediatric intensivists.

RESULTS

A retrospective query yielded 4600 hours and 209 hours of per-second data in 78 and 10 neonates for, respectively, training and testing purposes. During testing, stable episodes occurred 153 times, of which 134 (88%) were correctly detected. Unstable episodes were correctly noted in 46 of 57 (81%) observed episodes. Twelve expert-confirmed unstable episodes were missed in testing. Time-percentual accuracy was 93% and 77% for, respectively, stable and unstable episodes. A total of 138 sensorial dysfunctions were detected, of which 130 (94%) were correct.

CONCLUSIONS

In this proof-of-concept study, a clinical deterioration detection algorithm was developed and retrospectively evaluated to classify clinical stability and instability, achieving reasonable performance considering the heterogeneous population of neonates with cCHD. Combined analysis of baseline (ie, patient-specific) deviations and simultaneous parameter-shifting (ie, population-specific) proofs would be promising with respect to enhancing applicability to heterogeneous critically ill pediatric populations. After prospective validation, the current-and comparable-models may, in the future, be used in the automated detection of clinical deterioration and eventually provide data-driven monitoring support to the medical team, allowing for timely intervention.

Counting on random number generation: Uncovering mild executive dysfunction in congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with various neurocognitive deficits, particularly targeting executive functions (EFs), of which random number generation (RNG) is one indicator. RNG has, however, never been investigated in CHD. We administered the Mental Dice Task (MDT) to 67 young adults with CHD and 55 healthy controls. This 1-minute-task requires the generation of numbers 1 to 6 in a random sequence. RNG performance was correlated with a global EF score. Participants underwent MRI to examine structural-volumetric correlates of RNG. Compared to controls, CHD patients showed increased backward counting, reflecting deficient inhibition of automatized behavior. They also lacked a small-number bias (higher frequency of small relative to large numbers). RNG performance was associated with global EF scores in both groups. In CHD patients, MRI revealed an inverse association of counting bias with most of the volumetric measurements and the amount of small numbers was positively associated with corpus callosum volume, suggesting callosal involvement in the "pseudoneglect in number space". In conclusion, we found an impaired RNG performance in CHD patients, which is associated with brain volumetric measures. RNG, reportedly resistant to learning effects, may be an ideal task for the longitudinal assessment of EFs in patients with CHD.

Neurocognitive functioning in young adults with congenital heart disease: insights from a case-control study

BACKGROUND

While there is evidence that cognitive impairment of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) may persist into adolescence, little is known about the spectrum of neurocognitive functioning of young adults with this disorder. The aim of this study was to assess neurocognitive functioning in a population of young adults with different types of CHD.

METHODS

Cross-sectional cohort study in young adults with CHD and a group-matched healthy control group. We assessed neurocognitive and general intellectual functioning with a comprehensive battery of standardised neuropsychological tests. In addition to task-based assessments, questionnaire data of executive dysfunctions in everyday life were measured with the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version.

RESULTS

A total of 67 patients (55% men) with CHD and 55 healthy controls (51% men) were included for analysis. Mean age at assessment was 26.9 (3.68) and 26.0 (3.32) years, respectively. The CHD group performed poorer in the domains of Executive Functions, Memory, Attention & Speed, and general intellectual functioning. Patients with a CHD of severe complexity were more affected than patients with simple or moderate complexity. Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version scores indicated that patients' self-rated deficits in behaviour regulation in everyday life was higher compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate lower neurocognitive functioning in young adults with a CHD, particularly in those with severe defect complexity. In view of the potentially enhanced risk for cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disease in this patient group as reported in the literature, systematic longitudinal monitoring of cognitive functioning is recommended.

CeRebrUm and CardIac Protection with ALlopurinol in Neonates with Critical Congenital Heart Disease Requiring Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CRUCIAL): study protocol of a phase III, randomized, quadruple-blinded, placebo-controlled, Dutch multicenter trial

Background

Neonates with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are at risk of brain injury that may result in adverse neurodevelopment. To date, no therapy is available to improve long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of CCHD neonates. Allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, prevents the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, thereby limiting cell damage during reperfusion and reoxygenation to the brain and heart. Animal and neonatal studies suggest that allopurinol reduces hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and is cardioprotective and safe. This trial aims to test the hypothesis that allopurinol administration in CCHD neonates will result in a 20% reduction in moderate to severe ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injury.

Methods

This is a phase III, randomized, quadruple-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Neonates with a prenatal or postnatal CCHD diagnosis requiring cardiac surgery with CPB in the first 4 weeks after birth are eligible to participate. Allopurinol or mannitol-placebo will be administered intravenously in 2 doses early postnatally in neonates diagnosed antenatally and 3 doses perioperatively of 20 mg/kg each in all neonates. The primary outcome is a composite endpoint of moderate/severe ischemic or hemorrhagic brain injury on early postoperative MRI, being too unstable for postoperative MRI, or mortality within 1 month following CPB. A total of 236 patients (n = 188 with prenatal diagnosis) is required to demonstrate a reduction of the primary outcome incidence by 20% in the prenatal group and by 9% in the postnatal group (power 80%; overall type 1 error controlled at 5%, two-sided), including 1 interim analysis at n = 118 (n = 94 with prenatal diagnosis) with the option to stop early for efficacy. Secondary outcomes include preoperative and postoperative brain injury severity, white matter injury volume (MRI), and cardiac function (echocardiography); postnatal and postoperative seizure activity (aEEG) and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (NIRS); neurodevelopment at 3 months (general movements); motor, cognitive, and language development and quality of life at 24 months; and safety and cost-effectiveness of allopurinol.

Discussion

This trial will investigate whether allopurinol administered directly after birth and around cardiac surgery reduces moderate/severe ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injury and improves cardiac function and neurodevelopmental outcome in CCHD neonates.

Trial registration

EudraCT 2017-004596-31. Registered on November 14, 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04217421. Registered on January 3, 2020

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06098-y.

Early motor outcomes in infants with critical congenital heart disease are related to neonatal brain development and brain injury

AIM

To assess the relationship between neonatal brain development and injury with early motor outcomes in infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

METHOD

Neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed after open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Cortical grey matter (CGM), unmyelinated white matter, and cerebellar volumes, as well as white matter motor tract fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were assessed. White matter injury (WMI) and arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS) with corticospinal tract (CST) involvement were scored. Associations with motor outcomes at 3, 9, and 18 months were corrected for repeated cardiac surgery.

RESULTS

Fifty-one infants (31 males, 20 females) were included prospectively. Median age at neonatal surgery and postoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging was 7 days (interquartile range [IQR] 5-11d) and 15 days (IQR 12-21d) respectively. Smaller CGM and cerebellar volumes were associated with lower fine motor scores at 9 months (CGM regression coefficient=0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.15-0.86; cerebellum regression coefficient=3.08, 95% CI=1.07-5.09) and 18 months (cerebellum regression coefficient=2.08, 95% CI=0.47-5.12). The fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity of white matter motor tracts were not related with motor scores. WMI was related to lower gross motor scores at 9 months (mean difference -0.8SD, 95% CI=-1.5 to -0.2). AIS with CST involvement increased the risk of gross motor problems and muscle tone abnormalities. Cerebral palsy (n=3) was preceded by severe ischaemic brain injury.

INTERPRETATION

Neonatal brain development and injury are associated with fewer favourable early motor outcomes in infants with CCHD.

Can Erythropoietin Reduce Hypoxemic Neurological Damages in Neonates With Congenital Heart Defects?

Congenital heart defects (CHD), the most common cause of birth defects with increasing birth prevalence, affect nearly 1% of live births worldwide. Cyanotic CHD are characterized by hypoxemia, with subsequent reduced oxygen delivery to the brain, especially critical during brain development, beginning in the fetus and continuing through the neonatal period. Therefore, neonates with CHD carry a high risk for neurological comorbidities, even more frequently when there are associated underlying genetic disorders. We review the currently available knowledge on potential prevention strategies to reduce brain damage induced by hypoxemia during fetal development and immediately after birth, and the role of erythropoietin (EPO) as a potential adjunctive treatment. Maternal hyper-oxygenation had been studied as a potential therapeutic to improve fetal oxygenation. Despite demonstrating some effectiveness, maternal hyper-oxygenation has proven to be impractical for extensive clinical application, thus prompting the investigation of specific pathways for pharmacological intervention. Among those, the role of antioxidant pathways and Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIF) have been studied for their involvement in the protective response to hypoxic injury. One of the proteins induced by HIF, EPO, has properties of being anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and protective for neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. In human trials, EPO administration in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) significantly reduced the neurological hypoxemic damages in several reported studies. Currently, it is unknown if the mechanisms of pathophysiology of cyanotic CHD are like HIE. Neonates with cyanotic CHD are exposed to both chronic hypoxemia and episodes of acute ischemia-reperfusion injury when undergo cardiopulmonary bypass surgery requiring aortic cross-clamp and general anesthesia. Our review supports future trials to evaluate the potential efficiency of EPO in reducing the hypoxemic neurologic damages in neonates with CHD. Furthermore, it suggests the need to identify early biomarkers of hypoxia-induced neurological damage, which must be sensitive to the neuroprotective effects of EPO.

Perioperative Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Is Associated with Long-Term Neurodevelopment Outcome of Infants with Congenital Heart Disease

Background: Brain injury, impaired brain maturation, and long-term neurodevelopmental disorders are common in infants with congenital heart diseases (CHD). We aimed to assess whether plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) can predict neurodevelopmental anomalies in CHD infants operated on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: We measured plasma GFAP in 38 infants at multiple CPB phases. Cognitive, neuropsychological, and psychopathological functioning were assessed 5.7 ± 2.2 years after surgery. We identified an impaired global neurodevelopmental index (NDI) when at least two domains were abnormal. The relationships between NDI, GFAP, and clinical variables were explored with non-supervised feature selection methods and modeled with a nested non-linear logistic regression. Results: Intelligence quotient scores were within the normal range in 84% of children, whereas 58% showed an abnormal NDI, with the greatest impairments in the psychopathological area. The plasma GFAP peak was 0.95 (0.44–1.57) ng/mL, and it was correlated with age, weight, duration of surgery phases, and CPB minimum temperature. In the regression model, the GFAP peak was associated with an impaired NDI with a possible flexible point toward NDI impairment at 0.49 ng/mL, keeping constant ICU stay, CPB duration, CHD anatomy, weight, and CPB minimum temperature. Conclusion: GFAP is a promising early marker of abnormal long-term neuropsychological development.

The Year in Review: Anesthesia for Congenital Heart Disease 2020

This review focuses on the literature published during the calendar year 2020 that is of interest to anesthesiologists taking care of children and adults with congenital heart disease. Five major themes are discussed, including COVID-19 in children with heart disease, race and outcome disparities in congenital heart disease, Norwood procedure and outcomes, Fontan procedure and outcomes, and neurotoxicity/neurologic outcomes. A total of 59 peer-reviewed articles are discussed.

Individualized brain development and cognitive outcome in infants with congenital heart disease

Infants with congenital heart disease are at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, the origins of which are currently unclear. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between neonatal brain development, cerebral oxygen delivery and neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with congenital heart disease. A cohort of infants with serious or critical congenital heart disease (N = 66; N = 62 born ≥37 weeks) underwent brain MRI before surgery on a 3T scanner situated on the neonatal unit. T2-weighted images were segmented into brain regions using a neonatal-specific algorithm. We generated normative curves of typical volumetric brain development using a data-driven technique applied to 219 healthy infants from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP). Atypicality indices, representing the degree of positive or negative deviation of a regional volume from the normative mean for a given gestational age, sex and postnatal age, were calculated for each infant with congenital heart disease. Phase contrast angiography was acquired in 53 infants with congenital heart disease and cerebral oxygen delivery was calculated. Cognitive and motor abilities were assessed at 22 months (N = 46) using the Bayley scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. We assessed the relationship between atypicality indices, cerebral oxygen delivery and cognitive and motor outcome. Additionally, we examined whether cerebral oxygen delivery was associated with neurodevelopmental outcome through the mediating effect of brain volume. Negative atypicality indices in deep grey matter were associated with both reduced neonatal cerebral oxygen delivery and poorer cognitive abilities at 22 months across the whole sample. In infants with congenital heart disease born ≥37 weeks, negative cortical grey matter and total tissue volume atypicality indices, in addition to deep grey matter structures, were associated with poorer cognition. There was a significant indirect relationship between cerebral oxygen delivery and cognition through the mediating effect of negative deep grey matter atypicality indices across the whole sample. In infants born ≥37 weeks, cortical grey matter and total tissue volume atypicality indices were also mediators of this relationship. In summary, lower cognitive abilities in toddlers with congenital heart disease were associated with smaller grey matter volumes before cardiac surgery. The aetiology of poor cognition may encompass poor cerebral oxygen delivery leading to impaired grey matter growth. Interventions to improve cerebral oxygen delivery may promote early brain growth and improve cognitive outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease.

The association between parent stress, coping and mental health, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with congenital heart disease

Caring for the complex needs of a child with congenital heart disease (CHD) can place significant burden on the family. Parent mental health and coping have important influences on resilience and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with CHD. Objectives: To describe the uptake of a cardiac neurodevelopmental program (CNP), examine parent mental health and coping specific to parenting a child with CHD, and explore the relationship between parent mental health and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. Method: Implementation and uptake of the CNP was examined, and forty-four parents of children with CHD completed the DASS and RSQ-CHD. Results: The CNP showed significant uptake in follow-up and interventions offered including 100% completed brain MRIs of eligible patients, 35% increase in neonatal neurology consults, and 100% of families counselled on neurodevelopmental outcomes. A significant proportion of parents endorsed moderate/severe levels of anxiety (25%), depression (20%), and CHD-specific stress. Parents predominantly engaged in secondary control engagement coping (F(2,64)=75.04, p<.001, η_p²=.70). Secondary control engagement coping was associated with lower parent total stress (r=-.48, p=.006) and anxiety (r=-.47, p=.009). Higher parent stress was associated with higher anxiety (r=.45, p=.016), depression (r=.37, p=.05), more severe types of CHD (r=.35, p=.048), older child age (t(30)= -2.33, p=.03), and lower child cognitive scores (r=-.37, p=.045). More severe types of CHD were associated with lower language scores (F(3,35)=3.50, p=.03). Conclusions: This study highlights the relationship between parent mental health and early child cognitive outcomes in CHD and helps inform models of psychological care to reduce family burden and improve child outcomes.

Infants with congenital heart defects have reduced brain volumes

Children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) have increased risk of cognitive disabilities for reasons not fully understood. Previous studies have indicated signs of disrupted fetal brain growth from mid-gestation measured with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and infants with CHDs have decreased brain volumes at birth. We measured the total and regional brain volumes of infants with and without CHDs using MRI to investigate, if certain areas of the brain are at particular risk of disrupted growth. MRI brain volumetry analyses were performed on 20 infants; 10 with- (postmenstrual age 39–54 weeks, mean 44 weeks + 5 days) and 10 without CHDs (postmenstrual age 39–52 weeks, mean 43 weeks + 5 days). In six infants with- and eight infants without CHDs grey and white matter were also differentiated. Infants with CHDs had smaller brains (48 ml smaller; 95% CI, 6.1–90; p = 0.03), cerebrums (37.8 ml smaller; 95% CI, 0.8–74.8; p = 0.04), and cerebral grey matter (25.8 ml smaller; 95% CI, 3.5–48; p = 0.03) than infants without CHD. Brain volume differences observed within weeks after birth in children with CHDs confirm that the brain impact, which increase the risk of cognitive disabilities, may begin during pregnancy.

Is Neurodevelopment Related to Exercise Capacity in Single Ventricle Patients Who Have Undergone Fontan Palliation?

Survivors of palliative surgery for single ventricle heart disease (SVHD) are at risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and reduced exercise capacity. In healthy populations, reduced exercise capacity is related to decreased cognition suggesting a possible relationship between exercise capacity and neurodevelopment. Using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and neuropsychological testing (NPT) as indicators of exercise capacity and neurodevelopment, respectively, we hypothesized that in SVHD, higher CPET measures are related to better NPT performance. Patients were retrospectively identified. CPET variables included VO2max, anaerobic threshold, peak heart rate, ventilatory efficiency, and respiratory exchange ratio. NPT instruments were divided into domains measuring attention, executive functioning, adaptive functioning, and emotional functioning. Linear regression was used to test for associations between CPET and NPT. 23 subjects with SVHD met inclusion criteria. On both CPET and NPT, the cohort scored worse than healthy, age-matched subjects. Higher VO2max and anaerobic threshold were associated with better parent-rated overall adaptive functioning (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Higher peak heart rate was related to better sustained visual attention (p = 0.01). In SVHD, CPET measures indicating better exercise capacity were positively associated with a subset of scores on NPT. Larger, multisite studies implementing cardiorespiratory fitness intervention and incorporating cognitive outcome measures will be needed to better characterize the relationship between neurodevelopment and functional capacity in this population. Results may assist in providing anticipatory guidance and optimizing post-Fontan developmental trajectories.

Developmental outcomes after early surgery for complex congenital heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

(1) To systematically review the literature on developmental outcomes from infancy to adolescence of children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who underwent early surgery; (2) to run a meta-regression analysis on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) of infants up to 24 months and IQs of preschool-aged children to adolescents; (3) to assess associations between perioperative risk factors and outcomes.

METHOD

We searched pertinent literature (January 1990 to January 2019) in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Selection criteria included infants with complex CHD who had primary surgery within the first 9 weeks of life. Methodological quality, including risk of bias and internal validity, were assessed.

RESULTS

In total, 185 papers met the inclusion criteria; the 100 with high to moderate methodological quality were analysed in detail. Substantial heterogeneity in the group with CHD and in methodology existed. The outcome of infants with single-ventricle CHD was inferior to those with two-ventricle CHD (respectively: average scores for PDI 77 and 88; intelligence scores 92 and 98). Perioperative risk factors were inconsistently associated with developmental outcomes.

INTERPRETATION

The literature on children undergoing surgery in early infancy suggests that infants with a single ventricle are at highest risk of adverse developmental outcomes.

Multi-Slice Radiomic Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Metrics Improves Evaluation of Brain Alterations in Neonates With Congenital Heart Diseases

Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) can provide phenotypic information of brain lesions, which can aid the diagnosis of brain alterations in neonates with congenital heart diseases (CHDs). However, the corresponding clinical significance of quantitative descriptors of brain tissue remains to be elucidated. By using ADC metrics and texture features, this study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of single-slice and multi-slice measurements for assessing brain alterations in neonates with CHDs. ADC images were acquired from 60 neonates with echocardiographically confirmed non-cyanotic CHDs and 22 healthy controls (HCs) treated at Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2012 to 2016. ADC metrics and texture features for both single and multiple slices of the whole brain were extracted and analyzed to the gestational age. The diagnostic performance of ADC metrics for CHDs was evaluated by using analysis of covariance and receiver operating characteristic. For both the CHD and HC groups, ADC metrics were inversely correlated with the gestational age in single and multi-slice measurements (P < 0.05). Histogram metrics were significant for identifying CHDs (P < 0.05), while textural features were insignificant. Multi-slice ADC (P < 0.01) exhibited greater diagnostic performance for CHDs than single-slice ADC (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that radiomic analysis based on ADC metrics can objectively provide more quantitative information regarding brain development in neonates with CHDs. ADC metrics for the whole brain may be more clinically significant in identifying atypical brain development in these patients. Of note, these results suggest that multi-slice ADC can achieve better diagnostic performance for CHD than single-slice.

Delayed maturation of the structural brain connectome in neonates with congenital heart disease

There is emerging evidence for delayed brain development in neonates with congenital heart disease. We hypothesize that the perioperative development of the structural brain connectome is a proxy to such delays. Therefore, we set out to quantify the alterations and longitudinal pre- to post-operative changes in the connectome in congenital heart disease neonates relative to healthy term newborns and assess factors contributing to disturbed perioperative network development. In this prospective cohort study, 114 term neonates with congenital heart disease underwent cardiac surgery at the University Children's Hospital Zurich. Forty-six healthy term newborns were included as controls. Pre- and post-operative structural connectomes were derived from mean fractional anisotropy values of fibre pathways traced using diffusion MR tractography. Graph theory parameters calculated across a proportional cost threshold range were compared between groups by multi-threshold permutation correction adjusting for confounders. Network-based statistic was calculated for edgewise network comparison. White-matter injury volume was quantified on 3D T1-weighted images. Random coefficient mixed models with interaction terms of (i) cardiac subtype and (ii) injury volume with post-menstrual age at MRI, respectively, were built to assess modifying effects on network development. Pre- and post-operatively, at the global level, efficiency, indicative of network integration, was lower in heart disease neonates than controls. In contrast, local efficiency and transitivity, indicative of network segregation, were higher compared to controls (all P < 0.025 for one-sided t-tests). Pre-operatively, these group differences were also found across multiple widespread nodes (all P < 0.025, accounting for multiple comparison), whereas post-operatively nodal differences were not evident. At the edge-level, the majority of weaker connections in heart disease neonates compared to controls involved inter-hemispheric connections (66.7% pre-operatively; 54.5% post-operatively). A trend showing a more rapid pre- to post-operative decrease in local efficiency was found in class I cardiac sub-type (biventricular defect without aortic arch obstruction) compared to controls. In congenital heart disease neonates, larger white-matter injury volume was associated with lower strength (P = 0.0026) and global efficiency (P = 0.0097). The maturation of the structural connectome is delayed in congenital heart disease neonates, with a pattern of lower structural integration and higher segregation compared to controls. Trend-level evidence indicated that normalized post-operative cardiac physiology in class I sub-types might improve structural network topology. In contrast, the burden of white-matter injury negatively impacts network strength and integration. Further research is needed to elucidate how aberrant structural network development in congenital heart disease represents neural correlates of later neurodevelopmental impairments.

Functional deficit in children with congenital heart disease undergoing surgical correction after intensive care unit discharge

Objective

To evaluate the functional status of pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery after discharge from the intensive care unit, and to evaluate the correlations among clinical variables, functional status and surgical risk.

Methods

Cross-sectional study including patients aged 1 month to less than 18 years undergoing congenital heart surgery between October 2017 and May 2018. Functional outcome was assessed by the Functional Status Scale, surgical risk classification was determined using the Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 (RACHS-1), and clinical variables were collected from electronic medical records.

Results

The sample comprised 57 patients with a median age of 7 months (2 - 17); 54.4% were male, and 75.5% showed dysfunction, which was moderate in 45.6% of the cases. RACHS-1 category > 3 was observed in 47% of the sample, indicating higher surgical risk. There was a correlation between functional deficit and younger age, longer duration of invasive mechanical ventilation and longer intensive care unit stay. Moreover, greater functional deficit was observed among patients classified as RACHS-1 category > 3.

Conclusion

The prevalence of functional deficit was high among children and adolescents with congenital heart disease after cardiac surgery. Higher surgical risk, longer duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, longer intensive care unit stay and younger age were correlated with worse functional status.

From Diagnoses to Ongoing Journey: Parent Experiences Following Congenital Heart Disease Diagnoses

OBJECTIVE

Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the current cross-sectional study examined parents' experiences at the time of their child's diagnosis, what they thought helped their child recover, barriers to support, and identified needs for future models of care.

METHOD

The sample included 26 parents (22 mothers, 3 fathers, and 1 mother/father pair) of children with CHD, ranging in age between 6 months and 4 years with a mean age of 2 years.

RESULTS

Qualitative results were organized around five themes: (a) They (medical team) saved my child's life, (b) My child is going to be okay, (c) Not out of the woods, (d) Optimizing support for my child and myself, and (e) What still gets in the way. Parents uniformly expressed a need for greater mental health support for their children as well as programs to improve parents' skill and confidence, with no difference between age groups (< 2 years and > 2 years of age). Common barriers to service included distance and time off work.

CONCLUSION

Parents' experiences informed both acute and long term implications following CHD diagnoses, and highlight current gaps in mental health care. Direction for clinical care and improved intervention opportunities are discussed.

De novo damaging variants associated with congenital heart diseases contribute to the connectome

Congenital heart disease (CHD) survivors are at risk for neurodevelopmental disability (NDD), and recent studies identify genes associated with both disorders, suggesting that NDD in CHD survivors may be of genetic origin. Genes contributing to neurogenesis, dendritic development and synaptogenesis organize neural elements into networks known as the connectome. We hypothesized that NDD in CHD may be attributable to genes altering both neural connectivity and cardiac patterning. To assess the contribution of de novo variants (DNVs) in connectome genes, we annotated 229 published NDD genes for connectome status and analyzed data from 3,684 CHD subjects and 1,789 controls for connectome gene mutations. CHD cases had more protein truncating and deleterious missense DNVs among connectome genes compared to controls (OR = 5.08, 95%CI:2.81-9.20, Fisher's exact test P = 6.30E-11). When removing three known syndromic CHD genes, the findings remained significant (OR = 3.69, 95%CI:2.02-6.73, Fisher's exact test P = 1.06E-06). In CHD subjects, the top 12 NDD genes with damaging DNVs that met statistical significance after Bonferroni correction (PTPN11, CHD7, CHD4, KMT2A, NOTCH1, ADNP, SMAD2, KDM5B, NSD2, FOXP1, MED13L, DYRK1A; one-tailed binomial test P ≤ 4.08E-05) contributed to the connectome. These data suggest that NDD in CHD patients may be attributable to genes that alter both cardiac patterning and the connectome.

Current and future role of fetal cardiovascular MRI in the setting of fetal cardiac interventions

Over recent years, technical developments resulting in the feasibility of fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) have provided a new diagnostic tool for studying the human fetal heart and circulation. During the same period, we have witnessed the arrival of several minimally invasive fetal cardiac interventions (FCI) as a possible form of treatment in selected congenital heart diseases (CHDs). The role of fetal CMR in the planning and monitoring of FCI is not yet clear. Indeed, high-quality fetal CMR is not available or routinely offered at most centers caring for patients with prenatally detected CHD. However, in theory, fetal CMR could have much to offer in the setting of FCI by providing complementary anatomic and physiologic information relating to the specific intervention under consideration. Similarly, fetal CMR may be useful as an alternative imaging modality when ultrasound is hampered by technical limitations, for example, in the setting of oligohydramnios and in late gestation. In this review, we summarize current experience of the use of fetal CMR in the diagnosis and monitoring of fetuses with cardiopathies in the setting of a range of invasive in utero cardiac and vascular interventions and medical treatments and speculate about future directions for this versatile imaging medium.

Brain Injury in Infants with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Insights from Two Clinical Cohorts with Different Practice Approaches

OBJECTIVES

To determine prevalence and risk factors for brain injury in infants with critical congenital heart disease (CHD) from 2 sites with different practice approaches who were scanned clinically.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, longitudinal cohort study (2016-2017) performed at Hospital for Sick Children Toronto (HSC) and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital Utrecht (WKZ), including 124 infants with cardiac surgery ≤60 days (HSC = 77; WKZ = 47). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed per clinical protocol, preoperatively (n = 100) and postoperatively (n = 120). Images were reviewed for multifocal (watershed, white matter injury) and focal ischemic injury (stroke, single white matter lesion).

RESULTS

The prevalence of ischemic injury was 69% at HSC and 60% at WKZ (P = .20). Preoperative multifocal injury was associated with low cardiac output syndrome (OR, 4.6), which was equally present at HSC and WKZ (20% vs 28%; P = .38). Compared with WKZ, HSC had a higher prevalence of balloon-atrioseptostomy in transposition of the great arteries (83% vs 53%; P = .01) and more frequent preoperative focal injury (27% vs 6%; P = .06). Postoperatively, 30% of new multifocal injury could be attributed to postoperative low cardiac output syndrome, which was equally present at HSC and WKZ (38% vs 28%; P = .33). Postoperative focal injury was associated with intraoperative selective cerebral perfusion in CHD with arch obstruction at both sites (OR, 2.7). Compared with HSC, WKZ had more arch obstructions (62% vs 35%; P < .01) and a higher prevalence of new focal injury (36% vs 16%; P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Brain injury is common in clinical cohorts of infants with critical CHD and related to practice approaches. This study confirms that the high prevalence of brain injury in critical CHD is a clinical concern and does not simply reflect the inclusion criteria of published research studies.

Brain and CSF Volumes in Fetuses and Neonates with Antenatal Diagnosis of Critical Congenital Heart Disease: A Longitudinal MRI Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Fetuses and neonates with critical congenital heart disease are at risk of delayed brain development and neurodevelopmental impairments. Our aim was to investigate the association between fetal and neonatal brain volumes and neonatal brain injury in a longitudinally scanned cohort with an antenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease and to relate fetal and neonatal brain volumes to postmenstrual age and type of congenital heart disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective, longitudinal study including 61 neonates with critical congenital heart disease undergoing surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass <30 days after birth and MR imaging of the brain; antenatally (33 weeks postmenstrual age), neonatal preoperatively (first week), and postoperatively (7 days postoperatively). Twenty-six had 3 MR imaging scans; 61 had at least 1 fetal and/or neonatal MR imaging scan. Volumes (cubic centimeters) were calculated for total brain volume, unmyelinated white matter, cortical gray matter, cerebellum, extracerebral CSF, and ventricular CSF. MR images were reviewed for ischemic brain injury.

RESULTS

Total fetal brain volume, cortical gray matter, and unmyelinated white matter positively correlated with preoperative neonatal total brain volume, cortical gray matter, and unmyelinated white matter (r = 0.5-0.58); fetal ventricular CSF and extracerebral CSF correlated with neonatal ventricular CSF and extracerebral CSF (r = 0.64 and 0.82). Fetal cortical gray matter, unmyelinated white matter, and the cerebellum were negatively correlated with neonatal ischemic injury (r = -0.46 to -0.41); fetal extracerebral CSF and ventricular CSF were positively correlated with neonatal ischemic injury (r = 0.40 and 0.23). Unmyelinated white matter:total brain volume ratio decreased with increasing postmenstrual age, with a parallel increase of cortical gray matter:total brain volume and cerebellum:total brain volume. Fetal ventricular CSF:intracranial volume and extracerebral CSF:intracranial volume ratios decreased with increasing postmenstrual age; however, neonatal ventricular CSF:intracranial volume and extracerebral CSF:intracranial volume ratios increased with postmenstrual age.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals that fetal brain volumes relate to neonatal brain volumes in critical congenital heart disease, with a negative correlation between fetal brain volumes and neonatal ischemic injury. Fetal brain imaging has the potential to provide early neurologic biomarkers.

Postoperative cerebral oxygenation was not associated with new brain injury in infants with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative indices of cerebral oxygenation and autoregulation in infants with critical congenital heart disease in relation to new postoperative ischemic brain injury.

METHODS

This prospective, clinical cohort included 77 infants with transposition of the great arteries (N = 19), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (N = 30), and single ventricle physiology (N = 28) undergoing surgery at 30 days or less of life. Postoperative near-infrared spectroscopy and physiologic monitoring were applied to extract mean arterial blood pressure, regional cerebral oxygen saturation, fractional tissue oxygen extraction, and regional cerebral oxygen saturation mean arterial blood pressure correlation coefficient (≥0.5 considered sign of impaired cerebral autoregulation). New postoperative ischemic injury was defined as moderate-severe white matter injury or focal infarction on magnetic resonance imaging. Low cardiac output syndrome was measured as lactate greater than 4 mmol/L with pH less than 7.30.

RESULTS

After surgery, regional cerebral oxygen saturation was decreased in all congenital heart disease groups with a notable increase in regional cerebral oxygen saturation between 6 and 12 hours after surgery, on average with a factor of 1.4 (range, 1.1-2.4). Both single ventricle physiology and postoperative low cardiac output syndrome were associated with lower regional cerebral oxygen saturation and increased time with correlation coefficient of 0.5 or greater. New postoperative ischemic injury was seen in 39 patients (53%) and equally distributed across congenital heart disease groups. Postoperative regional cerebral oxygen saturation, fractional tissue oxygen extraction, and correlation coefficient were not independently associated with new postoperative white matter injury or focal infarction (mixed-model analysis, all F > 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative indices of cerebral oxygenation and cerebral autoregulation are not independent predictors of new ischemic brain injury in infants with critical congenital heart disease. Further exploration of the complex interplay among low regional cerebral oxygen saturation, low cardiac output syndrome, and heart defect is required to identify potential biomarkers enabling early intervention for ischemic brain injury.

Punctate white-matter lesions in the full-term newborn: Underlying aetiology and outcome

BACKGROUND

Punctate white matter lesions (PWMLs) are small focal patches of increased signal intensity (SI) on T1- and decreased SI on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To date, there have been few reports of PWMLs in term born infants.

OBJECTIVE

To identify associated diagnoses and factors predictive of clinical outcome in (near) term infants with PWMLs.

METHODS

MRI studies and clinical records of (near) term infants, with PWMLs on MRI scans performed in two institutions in the first 28 postnatal days were reviewed. The PWMLs were classified according to their number, pattern and distribution. The medical records were examined to assess the associated diagnoses and determine the neurodevelopmental outcome at >12 months of age. Infants with congenital heart defect(s), those who had neonatal surgery, or those with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke were not eligible for the study.

RESULTS

Forty-two (near) term infants with PWMLs were included. The major clinical association was perinatal asphyxia, present in 19/42 (45%). Ten (24%) had a history of seizures unrelated to asphyxia or a genetic diagnosis. Eleven (26%) had pathological genetic mutations. Other diagnoses, without seizures were identified in 2 (5%). The lesion load of PWMLs was high (>6) in 30/42 (71%). Evidence of irreversible white matter injury was present in 5 infants who had follow-up MRI performed between 18 and 24 months of age, because of clinical concerns. Five infants died and 37 had follow-up at a median age of 24 months. Neurodevelopmental outcome was poorest amongst 6 infants (16%) whose PWMLs occurred in the setting of a genetic disorder.

CONCLUSION

PWMLs in (near) term infants represent white matter injury that may evolve into gliosis and/or white matter loss. Infants with PWMLs in the setting of a genetic disorder appeared at most risk of a poor outcome.

Brain microstructural development in neonates with critical congenital heart disease: An atlas-based diffusion tensor imaging study

Background

Brain microstructural maturation progresses rapidly in the third trimester of gestation and first weeks of life, but typical microstructural development may be influenced by the presence of critical congenital heart disease (CHD).

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of white matter (WM) microstructural development in neonates with different types of critical CHD. The secondary aim was to examine whether there is an association between WM microstructural maturity and neonatal ischemic brain injury.

Methods

For this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, 74 term born neonates underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) before (N = 56) and after (N = 71) cardiac surgery performed <30 days of life for transposition of the great arteries (TGA), single ventricle physiology with aortic arch obstruction (SVP-AO), left- (LVOTO) or right ventricle outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO). Microstructural integrity was investigated by fractional anisotropy (FA) and by mean diffusivity (MD) in 16 white matter (WM) structures in three WM regions with correction for postmenstrual age. Ischemic brain injury was defined as moderate-severe white matter injury or stroke.

Results

Before cardiac surgery, the posterior parts of the corona radiata and internal capsule showed significantly higher FA and lower MD compared to the anterior parts. Centrally-located WM structures demonstrated higher FA compared to peripherally-located structures. Neonates with TGA had higher FA in projection-, association- and commissural WM before surgery, when compared to other CHD groups. Neonates with LVOTO showed lower preoperative MD in these regions, and neonates with SVP-AO higher MD. Differences in FA/MD between CHD groups were most clear in centrally located WM structures. Between CHD groups, no differences in postoperative FA/MD or in change from pre- to postoperative FA/MD were seen. Neonatal ischemic brain injury was not associated with pre- or postoperative FA/MD.

Conclusions

Collectively, these findings revealed brain microstructural WM development to follow the same organized pattern in critical CHD as reported in healthy and preterm neonates, from posterior-to-anterior and central-to-peripheral. Neonates with TGA and LVOTO showed the most mature WM microstructure before surgery and SVP-AO the least mature. Degree of WM microstructural immaturity was not associated with ischemic brain injury.

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Preoperative white matter integrity related to critical CHD type.

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Largest difference across CHD types in most mature white matter structures.

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Pattern of white matter development not related to critical CHD type.

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White matter maturity not related to higher risk neonatal ischemic brain injury.

Perioperative neonatal brain injury is associated with worse school-age neurodevelopment in children with critical congenital heart disease

AIM

To assess the impact of perioperative neonatal brain injury and brain volumes on neurodevelopment throughout school-age children with critical congenital heart disease (CHD).

METHOD

Thirty-four survivors of neonatal cardiac surgery (seven females, 27 males) were included. Neonatal preoperative and postoperative cerebral magnetic resonance imaging was performed and neurodevelopment was assessed at 24 months (SD 0.7, n=32, using Bayley Score of Infant and Toddler Development, Child Behavior Checklist) and 6 years (mean age 5y 11mo; SD 0.3, n=30, using Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form). Brain injury, brain volumes, and cortical measures were related to outcome with adjustment for maternal educational level.

RESULTS

Two-year cognitive score and 6-year Full-scale IQ were poorer in children with neonatal white matter injury (n=21, all p<0.05), with higher teacher-reported attention problems (p=0.03). Five of six children with involvement of the posterior limb of the internal capsule showed motor problems (p=0.03). Children with a below-average Fulll-scale IQ (<85, n=9) showed smaller volumes of basal ganglia thalami (-8%, p=0.03) and brain stem (-7%, p=0.03).

INTERPRETATION

Our findings provide evidence of unfavourable outcome in school-age children with critical CHD who acquire perioperative neonatal brain injury.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

This paper extends knowledge about neonatal brain injury and long-term outcome in congenital heart disease. Children with white matter injury show lower IQ and more attention problems at school age. Injury of the posterior limb of the internal capsule increases the risk of motor problems. This study provides evidence for worse outcomes in neonates acquiring brain injury around cardiac surgery.

Neuroprotective Drugs in Infants With Severe Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review

Background: Perinatal and perioperative brain injury is a fundamental problem in infants with severe congenital heart disease undergoing neonatal cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. An impaired neuromotor and neurocognitive development is encountered and associated with a reduction in quality of life. New neuroprotective drugs during surgery are described to reduce brain injury and improve neurodevelopmental outcome. Therefore, our aim was to provide a systematic review and best-evidence synthesis on the effects of neuroprotective drugs on brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcome in congenital heart disease infants requiring cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library (PRISMA statement). Search terms were “infants,” “congenital heart disease,” “cardiac surgery,” “cardiopulmonary bypass,” and “neuroprotective drug.” Data describing the effects on brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcome were extracted. Study quality was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Two reviewers independently screened sources, extracted data and scored bias. Disagreements were resolved by involving a third researcher.

Results: The search identified 293 studies of which 6 were included. In total 527 patients with various congenital heart diseases participated with an average of 88 infants (13–318) per study. Allopurinol, sodium nitroprusside, erythropoietin, ketamine, dextromethorphan and phentolamine were administered around cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Allopurinol showed less seizures, coma, death and cardiac events in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) infants (OR: 0.44; 95%-CI:0.21–0.91). Sodium nitroprusside resulted in lower post cardiopulmonary bypass levels of S100ß in infants with transposition of the great arteries after 24 (p < 0.01) and 48 (p = 0.04) h of treatment. Erytropoietin, ketamine and dextromethorphan showed no neuroprotective effects. Phentolamine led to higher S100ß-levels and cerebrovascular resistance after rewarming and at the end of surgery (both p < 0.01). Risk of bias varied between studies, including low (sodium nitroprusside, phentolamine), moderate (ketamine, dextromethorphan), and high (erytropoietin, allopurinol) quality.

Conclusions: Allopurinol seems promising for future trials in congenital heart disease infants to reduce brain injury given the early neuroprotective effects in hypoplastic left heart syndrome infants. Larger well-designed trials are needed to assess the neuroprotective effects of sodium nitroprusside, erytropoietin, ketamine and dextromethorphan. Future neuroprotective studies in congenital heart disease infants should not only focus on the perioperative period, however also on the perinatal period, since significant brain injury already exists before surgery.