Cognitive Functioning and Psychosocial Outcomes in Adults with Complex Congenital Heart Disease: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study

AbstractAdults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for cognitive dysfunction. However, associations between cognitive dysfunction and psychosocial outcomes are poorly defined. Between June and November 2022, we prospectively recruited 39 adults with complex CHD who completed a computerized cognitive assessment (Cogstate) and validated psychosocial scales measuring psychological distress, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and resilience. Participants had a mean age of 36.4  ± 11.2 years. Over half (62%) were women, most (79%) had complex biventricular CHD, and 21% had Fontan physiology. Prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was greatest in the domains of attention (29%), working memory (25%), and psychomotor speed (21%). Adjusting for age and sex, Pearson partial correlations between Cogstatez-scores and self-reported cognitive problems were small. Participants who lived in the most disadvantaged areas and those with a below-average annual household income had lower global cognitivez-scores (p = 0.02 andp = 0.03, respectively). Two-thirds (64%) reported elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and/or stress. Small correlations were observed between psychological distress and cognitive performance. Greater resilience was associated with lower psychological distress (r ≥ −0.5,p <  0.001) and higher HRQOL (r = 0.33,p = 0.02). Our findings demonstrate that adults with complex CHD have a high risk of cognitive dysfunctio...
Source: Pediatric Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research