The Boston Circulatory Arrest Study: Antecedents and Correlates of Well-Being in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

In the landmark Boston Circulatory Arrest Study, neurologic and developmental status was measured following infant heart surgery and then prospectively at ages 1, 2.5, 4, 8, and 16 years, with findings of significant neurocognitive deficits and brain MRI abnormalities regardless of operative management. To date, no study has evaluated the neuropsychological and neuroimaging antecedents and correlates of well-being in adults with congenital heart disease, a population now \>1 million and projected to grow at 5% per year. The investigators propose to study the Boston cohort at ages 24-29 years to assess the associations of adult well-being with childhood and adolescent executive function, other measures of mental health and cognitive function, adolescent brain MRI findings, and clinical variables; findings will guide the design of interventions in childhood to optimize outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease.