title: Neurodevelopment and behavior after transcatheter versus surgical closure of secundum type atrial septal defect.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the neuropsychological and behavioral profiles of school-aged children treated for atrial septal defect, secundum type (ASD-II) with open-heart surgery or catheterization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 48; mean age, 9 years, 3 months) and a matched healthy group (mean age, 9 years, 2 months) were evaluated with a shortened intelligence scale (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third edition, Dutch version) and a developmental neuropsychological test battery (Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, second edition, Dutch version). Parents completed behavioral checklists (Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for Children aged 6-18). Hospitalization variables were retrieved from medical files for studying associations with long-term neurodevelopment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the healthy matched controls, patients treated for ASD-II had significantly lower scores on subtasks underlying such Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, second edition, Dutch version domains as Attention and Executive Functioning, Language, Working Memory, Sensorimotor Functioning, Social Cognition, and Visuospatial Information Processing. Only subtle differences, mainly in Visuospatial Information Processing, were found between the surgical repair and transcatheter repair groups. Socioeconomic status, longer hospital stay, and larger defect size were associated with neurocognitive outcome measures. Parents of patients reported more thought problems, posttraumatic stress problems, and lower school performance compared with parents of healthy peers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After treatment for ASD-II, children display a range of neuropsychologic difficulties that may increase their risk for learning problems and academic underachievement. Differences related to treatment were not found. Our results suggest that neurodevelopmental and behavioral follow-up at school age is warranted in this group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: iemke.sarrechia@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Iemke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sarrechia
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Daniël
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Wolf
authors.affiliation: Division of Head, Neck, and Nerve Systems, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miatton
authors.affiliation: Division of Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: François
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gewillig
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Gasthuisberg Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyns
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vingerhoets
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests