Brain Development in Congenital Heart Disease

The heart and the brain are inextricably linked, and cardiovascular and brain health are closely connected. The Children’s Heart and Development Research Group at the University Children’s Hospital Zürich are investigating the contributions of genetic, disease-related, and environmental factors to brain development and cognitive outcomes in children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). The ZNZ supports the project financially.

Children with CHD have an increased risk of cognitive, motor, and behavioral difficulties, which can become apparent as they develop and face increasing demands in school. However, there is a large variability in outcomes between patients, and it is not yet known why some patients show typical development from childhood into adulthood while others encounter various developmental difficulties. Genetic variability may play a role in these mechanisms but remains underexplored. Identifying not only the risk factors but also protective factors leading to healthy development would help us to develop and tailor future interventions to improve outcomes in these children.

In collaboration with the University Research Priority Program Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (https://www.adabd.uzh.ch), this study aims to explore the complex interactions between genetic, biological, clinical, and environmental factors on brain development and cognitive performance in children with CHD. By combining genetic analyses with advanced neuroimaging methods, a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests, and questionnaires assessing the socioeconomic status, stress, and well-being of patients and their families, we hope to identify the environmental conditions and gene-environment interactions which influence outcomes for CHD patients with and without genetic variations. This study will provide the first unified analyses of these factors, providing an important step towards developing personalized interventions to promote healthy brain development in children with CHD.

Image: © Aimi Nagasawa