Aberrant brain functional connectivity in newborns with congenital heart disease before cardiac surgery.

ABSTRACT: Newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring open heart surgery are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. Recent quantitative MRI studies have reported disrupted growth, microstructure, and metabolism in fetuses and newborns with complex CHD. To date, no study has examined whether functional brain connectivity is altered in this high-risk population after birth, before surgery. Our objective was to compare whole-brain functional connectivity of resting state networks in healthy, term newborns (n = 82) and in term neonates with CHD before surgery (n = 30) using graph theory and network-based statistics. We report for the first time intact global network topology - efficient and economic small world networks - but reduced regional functional connectivity involving

SUBMITTER: De Asis-Cruz J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5635248 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature