# Sex Differences in Psychosocial and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Adults with Moderate to Complex Congenital Heart Disease

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $39,776

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the number one birth defect worldwide, with 2.4 million people (1.4 million
adults) in the United States. Those figures are expected to double in the next decade with more than 90% of
CHD patients reaching adulthood. Despite medical and surgical advancements, 50% of adults with CHD have
neurocognitive deficits, depression and heart-focused anxiety that can affect their daily life. However, there
are no studies that examine sex differences in psychosocial and neurocognitive outcomes in adults with
moderate to complex CHD. Only a few studies have examined either neurocognitive function or psychosocial
outcomes in adults with CHD. Those studies have shown deficits in neurocognitive domains such as attention,
executive function, processing speed, working memory and intelligence. These deficits place the patient at
higher risk for lower educational attainment, unemployment, disability, poor self-care, increased mortality and
morbidity, lower quality of life and potential loss to medical follow-up. Unfortunately, small sample sizes in these
few studies limited further analysis based on sex / gender differences. To address this critical gap, we will
recruit 180 CHD participants between 18 to 40 years of age with a diagnosis of moderate-to-complex CHD
from the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult CHD Center. An additional sample of 40 healthy controls will be recruited from
the Los Angeles community for comparison. This cross-sectional, comparative study will include
measurements to assess neurocognition, anxiety/depression, social determinants of health, mental and
physical functioning, social support, and quality of life. Clinical data include ventricular ejection fraction (EF),
number of cardiac surgeries, CHD severity and menopause status in females. Specific Aim 1) Examine sex
/gender differences in psychosocial, physical functioning, social determinants of health (SDoH), and
neurocognitive scores in adults with moderate to complex CHD compared to age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched
controls. We hypothesize that males will have worse neurocognitive scores compared to females with CHD
and matched controls, while females with CHD will have worse psychosocial scores compared to males with
CHD and match controls. Specific Aim 2) Determine the relationship between neurocognitive scores and sex,
clinical factors, SDoH, psychosocial, and physical functioning in adults with moderate-to-complex CHD. We
hypothesize that greater number of surgeries, lower EF, worse physical function, higher levels of anxiety and
depressive symptoms, less social support, negative SDoH, and male sex will be associated with worse
neurocognitive scores in adults with moderate to complex CHD. This study will contribute to new knowledge
on the association of sex / gender differences related to neurocognition and psychosocial outcomes in aging
adults with CHD. The clinical implications are substantial as results will support the development of targeted...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10825104
- **Project number:** 1F31NR020976-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Cristina Cabrera-Mino
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $39,776
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-11-15 → 2025-08-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10825104

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10825104, Sex Differences in Psychosocial and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Adults with Moderate to Complex Congenital Heart Disease (1F31NR020976-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10825104. Licensed CC0.

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