Resting-state BOLD fMRI cerebrovascular reactivity in youth with congenital heart disease

Motivation: Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) has never been studied in congenital heart disease (CHD), likely due to safety concerns and low practicality related to the conventional stress challenge. Recently, a gas-free manipulation CVR technique has been developed. Goal(s): Thus, this study aimed to investigate CVR in youth with CHD, assessing the influence of sex and type of surgery. Approach: CVR was measured from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging without gas or breathing manipulations. Results: Overall, results showed lower regional relative CVR in youth with CHD compared to controls in the anterior cerebral artery territory, with females and those with single-ventricle physiology exhibiting lower relative CVR. Impact: We observed lower cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in youth with congenital heart disease (CHD), with those with single-ventricle physiology most affected, especially in the anterior cerebral artery territory. Females with CHD revealed poorer CVR in the middle cerebral artery territory.