We investigate the relationship between congenital heart disease (CHD), regional CBF, functional connectivity, and nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels in older children. Low nNO is associated with poor cardiac function in CHD although the precise mechanism is unknown. Results show that, in CHD patients, reduced nNO is associated with reduced regional CBF in the salience and default mode networks as well as reduced segregation globally (modularity) and regionally (frontally, parietally, and subcortically); these relationships are not present in normal controls. These results suggest intrinsic brain deficits (more so than impaired substrate delivery) may underlie neurocognitive deficits in CHD patients.
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