Abstract
Background
Neurodevelopmental abnormalities are prevalent in children with tetralogy of Fallot. Our aim was to investigate the structural brain alterations of preschool-aged children with tetralogy of Fallot and its correlation with neurodevelopmental outcome.
Methods
T1-weighted structural images were obtained from 25 children with tetralogy of Fallot who had undergone cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and from 24 normal controls. Cortical morphological indices including gray matter volume, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, gyrification, and cortical surface complexity were compared between the two groups. Neurodevelopmental assessments of the children with tetralogy of Fallot were performed with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence.
Results
Cortical morphological differences between groups were distributed throughout the right caudal middle frontal gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right lateral occipital gyrus, right precuneus, and left inferior parietal lobule. Among children with tetralogy of Fallot, altered cortical structures were correlated with the visual spatial index, working memory index, and perioperative variables.
Conclusion
Our results suggested that abnormal cortical structure in preschool-aged children with tetralogy of Fallot may be the persistent consequence of delayed cortical development in fetuses and cortical morphology can be used as an early potential biomarker to capture regional brain abnormalities that are relevant to neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Impact
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Altered cortical structures in preschool-aged children with ToF were correlated with both neurodevelopmental outcomes and clinical risk factors.
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Cortical morphology can be used as an effective tool to evaluate neuroanatomical changes and detect underlying neural mechanisms in ToF patients.
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Abnormal cortical structure may be the continuous consequence of delayed fetal brain development in children with ToF.
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Funding
This project is funded by the Six Talent Peaks Project in Jiangsu Province (No. WSN-192), Jiangsu Commission of Health (No. LGY2019009), and Nanjing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (No. 202002055).
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Study conceptualization and design: Ming Yang, X.M., Y. Liu. Data collection: Mingwen Yang, S.M., S.W., M.F., M.Z., Y. Li, S.C., Z.F. Data analysis and interpretation: Mingwen Yang, Y. Liu. Drafting the manuscript: Mingwen Yang. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.
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Yang, M., Liu, Y., Ma, S. et al. Altered brain structure in preschool-aged children with tetralogy of Fallot. Pediatr Res 93, 1321–1327 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-01987-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-01987-z
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