Investigating brain health in children with single ventricle heart disease
Official title: Brain Metabolites, Brain Antioxidant, and Cerebral Blood Flow Deficits in Single Ventricle Heart Disease
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10772179 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how single ventricle heart disease impacts the brain health of kids and teens, exploring how blood flow and certain brain chemicals might affect their thinking skills, with the goal of finding ways to help them do better in school and everyday life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $195,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21NS131850-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10772179 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children and adolescents diagnosed with single ventricle heart disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without single ventricle heart disease or those who are older than 21 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how single ventricle heart disease affects brain health in children and adolescents. It examines the relationship between brain metabolites, antioxidant levels, and blood flow to the brain, which may be impaired due to low cardiac output. Using advanced imaging techniques, the study aims to identify changes in brain regions that are crucial for cognitive functions, potentially leading to better management of cognitive deficits associated with this condition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for enhancing cognitive function and quality of life in children with single ventricle heart disease.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of this research is novel, there have been other studies indicating the importance of brain health in patients with congenital heart defects.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Rajesh — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Rajesh
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Lipid damage and mitochondria: new ways to protect the Fontan heart
A Stanford-led study aims to find new targets and biomarkers to preserve heart function in children with Fontan circulation by looking at how oxidative stress damages heart cell powerhouses and affects blood vessels.
-
Investigating how mitochondrial injury affects blood vessel function in children with congenital heart disease.
This study is looking at how heart failure affects children who have had a special heart surgery called the Fontan operation, with the goal of finding new ways to spot heart problems early and improve treatments for them.
-
Digoxin effects in infants with single‑ventricle heart failure
This project looks at how the heart drug digoxin behaves and affects newborns and infants who have heart failure from single‑ventricle congenital heart disease.
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Investigating treatments for single ventricle heart disease
This study is looking at the special challenges young adults with single ventricle congenital heart disease face as they grow up, and it aims to find better treatments for heart failure that are specific to their needs.
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Investigating blood flow development in children with single ventricle heart disease
This study is looking at how heart surgery affects the growth of blood vessels in the lungs of children with single ventricle heart disease, by checking their blood and using special imaging to help understand what helps them do better or worse after surgery.
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Investigating digoxin's effects on infants with heart failure from congenital heart disease
This study is looking at how the heart medicine digoxin works in babies with heart failure caused by a specific heart condition, hoping to find better ways to help these little ones feel better and live healthier lives.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.