Background: Iron is important in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) specifically related to degeneration of the substantia nigra (SN). Magnetic resonance imaging can be used to measure brain iron in the entire structure but this approach is insensitive to regional changes in iron content.
Objectives: The goal of this work was to use quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and R2* to quantify both global and regional brain iron in PD patients and healthy controls (HC) to ascertain if regional changes correlate with clinical conditions and can be used to discriminate patients from controls.
Methods: Susceptibility and R2* maps of 25 PD and 24 HC subjects were reconstructed from data collected on a 3T GE scanner. For the susceptibility maps, three-dimensional regions-of-interest (ROIs) were traced on 8 deep gray matter structures and an age-based threshold was applied to define regions of high iron content. The same multi-slice ROIs were duplicated on the R2* maps as well. Mean susceptibility values of both global and regional high iron content along with global R2* values were measured and compared not only between the two cohorts, but also to susceptibility and R2* baselines as a function of age. Finally, clinical features were compared for those PD patients lying above and below the upper 95% regional susceptibility-age prediction intervals.
Results: The SN was the only structure showing significantly higher susceptibility in PD patients compared to controls globally (p
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Dr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Human Potential, where he leads the charge in pioneering Self-Enhancement Science for the Success of Society. With a keen interest in exploring the untapped potential of the human mind, Dr. Lowemann has dedicated his career to pushing the boundaries of human capabilities and understanding.
Armed with a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. in his field, Dr. Lowemann has consistently been at the forefront of research and innovation, delving into ways to optimize human performance, cognition, and overall well-being. His work at the Institute revolves around a profound commitment to harnessing cutting-edge science and technology to help individuals lead more fulfilling and intelligent lives.
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