Attention features in adolescents who have undergone total repair of congenital heart disease
Authors:   Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Rumyantseva A.A. , Kameneva V.A. ,   Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Morozova I.S. ,   Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Belogai K.N. ,   Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation
Published: November 2024

Background: nowadays, an increased percentage of congenital heart disease (CHD) repair survivors determine relevance of psychological
make-up studies within these persons. The features are related to attention selectivity and focusing determining educational and social
activities. A partial underdevelopment of the attention properties was detected in adolescents underwent cardiopulmonary bypass to repair
septal CHDs (i. e. atrial and interventricular septal defects).
Aim: to identify attention disorders in children underwent cardiopulmonary bypass to repair CHD.
Patients and Methods: 40 children, previously operated under artificial circulation for CHD defects: atrial septal defect (n=24) and ventricular
septal defect (n=16), aged 10 to 16 years, were examined. The empirical study was carried out using several psychodiagnostic techniques
such as the Münsterberg test to determine attention selectivity and focusing, and the Gottschaldt's test to establish field dependence/field
independence representing attention selectivity in children with repaired CHDs.
Results: it has been shown that attention selectivity and focusing levels demonstrated by adolescents underwent cardiopulmonary bypass
to repair septal CHDs are below the age norm. Certain problems (in particular, lack of attention and showing impulsivity) were revealed in
adolescent responders. Detected field independence trend differences indicate a greater degree of ability to resist the influence of conflicting
background signs in the perception of visual forms and connections in adolescents underwent cardiopulmonary bypass to repair septal CHDs
(i. e. atrial and interventricular septal defects). Significant differences obtained in groups of adolescents in relation to the time spent on
performing the Münsterberg test support the presence of response features associated with individual typological manifestations. However,
one cannot completely exclude influence of CHD whose manifestations are reported by multiple researchers stating the fact that adolescents
with CHD of any severity are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and/or depression, as well as attention deficit and hyperactivity
disorder than their healthy peers.
Conclusion: the study results indicate the need for further investigation of psychological features related to attention selectivity and focusing
that determine educational and social activities in adolescents with congenital heart diseases.
KEYWORDS: congenital heart disease, cardiac surgical correction, perception, non-verbal stimulus, geometric shapes, verbal stimulus,
cognitive impairment, cognitive profile, attention failure.
FOR CITATION: Rumyantseva A.A., Kameneva V.A., Morozova I.S., Belogai K.N. Attention features in adolescents who have undergone total
repair of congenital heart disease. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2024;8(10):554–559 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2024-8-10-2