Aim: Early life stress is associated with overgrowth of the amygdala, which plays a key role in the processing and memory of emotional responses. Herein, we aimed to explore the amygdala volume in children with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who experience repeated admissions during the neonatal period and infancy. Methods: We compared the amygdala volume measured using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 40 patients after completion of the Fontan procedure and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects Results: Age at the MRI study were 9.2 (8.5-11.1) and 10.2 (9.2-10.3) years in the Fontan and control groups, respectively. The maximum amygdala volume in the Fontan group was significantly larger than in the control group (1232 [983-1392] mm3/m2 vs. 980 [728-1166] mm3/m2, P < 0.001). The amygdala volume did not correlate to cardiac index (r = 0.260) and central venous pressure (r = -0.107) in the Fontan group. Conclusions: Children with single-ventricle congenital heart disease exhibited amygdala overgrowth.
Keywords: Fontan procedure; brain; magnetic resonance imaging; neurological development; psychiatric disorders.