Funded Projects

Initial Grant - Hearts and Minds Study

Dr John Beca’s Hearts and Minds Study is an internationally recognised and renowned research project. Starship is one of three top centres in the world involved in this area of research which aims to understand the nature of brain injuries suffered by infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Mild damage to the brain is common in these children.

The first phase of the Hearts and Minds Study monitored 150 newborn infants undergoing heart surgery in order to better understand the nature of any brain injury that occurred. Phase two will assess all of the children at the age of six years with a full neuro-developmental assessment followed by a repeat MRI scan. The ability to perform the advanced MRI scans on children of this age is relatively new.

Starship is one of the first in the world to begin this type of study, thanks to the $30,000 grant provided by the Athlae Lyon Starship Research Trust and an additional $15,000 contribution from Starship Foundation.

The Hearts and Minds at School Study

Tracey Bushell, Research Nurse,
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit,
Starship Hospital

• Over 95% of children survive surgery
• The biggest complication is long term effects on the brain
• Our goal is to understand this better so that we can
  • Find ways to prevent or reduce damage to the brain
  • Provide better support as the children grow up to lessen the effects that the damage causes

The Goals of the Study

The study investigates how young children who had surgery for congenital heart disease when they were babies, function in everyday life. How they concentrate, learn and behave.

Whilst advances in surgical techniques and intensive care have dramatically improved survival rates in this group of children, there is an increasing awareness that survivors of this type of surgery are at risk of a range of neurodevelopmental and behavioural problems.

By identifying children at risk for these problems and understanding the underlying mechanisms medical and health professionals will be better able to effectively manage and provide intervention for these children to support optimal outcomes for everyday life.

Survival from Surgery

In the early 90’s the mortality rate was high and this has steadily improved with time. Current figures remain consistently low.

Amazingly many of the patients are well enough to leave PICU and return to the ward the following day.

Hearts and Minds Study

International collaboration with the following hospitals started approximately 8 years ago

• Starship, Auckland
• Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne)

The subject is very topical internationally, and unique!

Stage 1: infancy and surgery

• Brain MRI scans and extra brain monitoring during surgery
• Assessment at two years of age

Stage 2 : “Hearts & Minds at School”

• Assessment at 6.5 years of age
• Brain MRI

Stages 3 and 4? – yet to be decided!

Hearts and Minds at School

• Progress so far:
  • 60 cardiac children to be seen
  • 56 completed, 4 more to go
• Control Group – Healthy 6.5 year olds
  • Aiming for 30
  • 8 will have been seen by the end of this year
  • Main focus for early next year
  • The challenge is finding the controls!
• Analyse and publish after that

Hearts and Minds at School

The photographs on our homepage are of some of the children that have ben involved in our study. Some are children who have heart conditions and have been involved in the study since they were very young. Others are children and their famalies that are part of our control group, which means they have volunteered to be part of our study so that they can help future children with congenital heart disease which we are very grateful for their participation

Finally A Big Thank You!…

Your generosity has enabled us to continue this study and follow these children up as they reach school age.

It can be challenging as we rely on the goodwill of parents to participate, sometimes this type of research is a long and drawn out process!

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