None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Adults with congenital heart disease have excellent survival rate. However, late complications such as early-onset of cardiovascular events can affect quality of life later in life. We have recently demonstrated that adults with previous aortic coarctation repair (a procedure to correct narrowing of the heart’s main artery) have increased stiffening of the blood vessel in the brain, which may explain the heightened risk for stroke in this group of patients. The hardening of the blood vessel in the brain decreases the ability of the vessels to dilate effectively, thus decreasing blood flow in the brain. Over time, this can lead to poor mental performance and increases one’s risk for early-onset dementia. In this study, we are looking to examine whether patients with complex congenital heart disease may have disturbances in the blood flow in their brain and how this affects mental performance. We will use transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) to measure blood flow in the brain during a series of mental tests and compare patients with complex congenital heart disease with healthy control participants. We are seeking a total of 30 participants - 15 adults with complex congenital heart disease and 15 adults without heart disease. Participants will be recruited via public advertisement, word of mouth and referral from the cardiologists at the John Hunter Hospital.
Interventions
The study will examine cerebrovascular and cognitive function in patients with complex congenital heart disease and age-gender matched controls, using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound. The procedure will take up to 3 hours and will be performed by Dr Rachel Wong, the study coordinator, in week one. There is only one visit in this study.
Volunteers will be required to attend the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) for screening. If they are eligible, data collection for our outcome ass
The study will examine cerebrovascular and cognitive function in patients with complex congenital heart disease and age-gender matched controls, using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound. The procedure will take up to 3 hours and will be performed by Dr Rachel Wong, the study coordinator, in week one. There is only one visit in this study. Volunteers will be required to attend the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) for screening. If they are eligible, data collection for our outcome assessments will continue at the same visit. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight and waist circumference will be obtained before clinic blood pressure is assessed to determine compliance with the study’s blood pressure criteria. Participants will then be fitted with a headpiece supporting an ultrasound probe on each temporal region. An investigator will adjust the probes until a measurable blood flow signal is obtained in each middle cerebral artery (MCA). If the investigator is unable to obtain a blood flow signal in both MCAs, the participant will be excluded from the study. Otherwise, the participant will be assessed. The ultrasound will continuously record the changes in blood flow velocities in the MCA during a cognitive test battery. After the cognitive test, the investigator will adjust the ultrasound probes to locate the posterior cerebral arteries [either the posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) or the basilar artery (BA)] on either side of the temporal window. Once a suitable blood flow signal is located, participant will be asked to open and close their eyes as guided by the investigator. Participants will not be excluded if blood flow signals from the posterior arteries are not found. A walking test will be administered as the last assessment.
Sponsors
Dr Nicholas Collins
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Adult patients with complex congenital heart disease, having measurable ultrasound signal on both sides of the head. Control participants should be healthy and without heart disease.
Exclusion criteria
Unable to obtain a measurable signal in both left and right MCA History of cerebrovascular events, including transient ischemic attack. Uncontrolled hypertension (>160/100mmHg) (measured at the visit to CNRC) Pregnant women and people highly dependent on medical care.
Outcome results
None listed