Brain microstructural development in neonates with critical congenital heart disease: An atlas-based diffusion tensor imaging study

Background: Brain microstructural maturation progresses rapidly in the third trimester of gestation and first weeks of life, but typical microstructural development may be influenced by the presence of critical congenital heart disease (CHD). Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of white matter (WM) microstructural development in neonates with different types of critical CHD. The secondary aim was to examine whether there is an association between WM microstructural maturity and neonatal ischemic brain injury. Methods: For this prospective, longitudinal cohort study, 74 term born neonates underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) before (N = 56) and after (N = 71) cardiac surgery performed