Olfactory Structure and Function in Cognition and Brain Reorganization in Congenital Heart Disease Patients

Over the last three decades, patients with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) have been managed by surgical advancements and medical interventions thus allowing them to live long, otherwise healthy lives. Because of these advancements, there is now a soaring population of adult CHD patients who show signs of social and cognitive defects due to changes in brain neuronal connectivity or wiring. The overall goal of this study is to use a brain MRI to show that through the analysis of olfaction, brain wiring, and genetic alterations can predict which CHD patients will have larger changes in mental and social behavior. This will allow for early intervention therapies that could help obtain a better quality of life and outcome, but also in the future look for treatments that could bring back the brain connectivity to their native state.

  • Adults
    • Healthy Controls
    • CHD
  • 18 to 30 males and females
  • MRI
  • Neurocognitive Evaluation Part I
  • Smell R/S – odor testing
  • Wearable Actigraphy
  • Blood Draw
  • Neurocognitive Evaluation Part II