MRI Based Quantification of Global Cerebral Metabolism in Neonates with Congenital Heart Defect

Varsha Jain¹, Erin Buckley², Jennifer Lynch², Peter Schwab², Maryam Naim², Susan Nicolson², Lisa Montenegro², Daniel Licht², Felix Wehrli¹

Periventricular leukomalacia, a type of hypoxic ischemic injury, is the most common cerebral pathology observed in neonates with congenital heart defects. Measurement of hemodynamic and metabolic parameters in this population can provide additional insights into the mechanism of injury. In this study we utilized a previously described non-invasive Magnetic Resonance method that can measure global bi-hemispheric cerebral venous oxygen saturation and cerebral blood flow simultaneously and correlated the measurements with more clinically widespread optical measurements. Additionally, our results illustrate the potential of using preoperative hemodynamic measurements as predictors of postoperative injury.