Characterizing Brain Iron Deposition in Patients with Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping: A Potential Biomarker

Abstract

The presence and pattern of iron accumulation in subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) and their effects on cognition have rarely been investigated. We aimed to examine brain iron deposition in svMCI subjects using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Moreover, we aimed to investigate the correlation between brain iron deposition and the severity of cognitive impairment as indicated by z-scores. We recruited 20 subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) patients who fulfilled the criteria for svMCI. The control group comprised 19 SIVD patients without cognitive impairment. The SIVD and control groups were matched based on age, gender, and years of education. Both groups underwent QSM using a 3.0T MRI system. Susceptibility maps were reconstructed from in vivo data, which were acquired with a three-dimensional spoiled gradient recalled sequence. Then, regions of interest were drawn manually on the map of each subject. The inter-group differences of susceptibility values were explored in deep gray matter nuclei, including the bilateral pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus, head of caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus. The correlations between regional iron deposition and composite z-score, memory z-score, language z-score, attention-executive z-score and visuospatial z-score were assessed using partial correlation analysis, with patient age and gender as covariates. Compared with the control, the svMCI group had elevated susceptibility values within the bilateral hippocampus and right putamen. Furthermore, the susceptibility value in the right hippocampus was negatively correlated with memory z-score and positively correlated with language z-score. The susceptibility value in the right putamen was negatively correlated with attention-executive z-score in the svMCI group. However, composite z-score were unrelated to susceptibility values. Our results suggest that brain iron deposition has clinical relevance as a biomarker for cognition. In addition, our results highlight the importance of iron deposition in understanding svMCI-associated cognitive deficits in addition to conventional MRI markers.

Increased iron deposition of deep cerebral gray matter structures in hemodialysis patients: A longitudinal study using quantitative susceptibility mapping

“…It has been reported that poor neurocognitive performance is common in HD patients, primarily influencing executive function . The iron loads in the PUT correlates with attention‐executive function and visual memory and has also been reported to be involved with Alzheimer's disease and subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment . The increased iron deposition of RN has been reported to mark dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease and there are a few reports about the correlations between increased iron content in the RN and cognitive function.…”

“…31 The iron loads in the PUT correlates with attention-executive function and visual memory and has also been reported to be involved with Alzheimer's disease and subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment. 32 The increased iron deposition of RN has been reported to mark dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease and there are a few reports about the correlations between increased iron content in the RN and cognitive function. Wang et al found that the increased iron deposition of the RN correlated with the cognitive dysfunction in the patients with Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment, 33 which was consistent with our findings.…”

Analysis of the connection of the concentration of iron in basal nuclei with cognitive impairments in patients with hypertension and atherosclerotic encephalopathy in the study of changes in the magnetic susceptibility of the subcortical structures

“…Це обумовлено тим, що когнітивні порушення, зазвичай, є першими проявами даного захворювання. Клінічно, судинна деменція характеризується зниженням інтелекту із поступовим прогресуванням та флюктуючим типом перебігу, у той час, як розлади особистості, зазвичай, не розвиваються [24]. Судинна деменція є найрозповсюдженішим варіантом деменції після хвороби Альцгеймера [4].…”

“…Пошук потенційних біомаркерів для ранньої діагностики плСКЗ є важливим науковим завданням, оскільки це дасть змогу виявляти захворювання на ранніх стадіях, а корекція факторів ризику та відповідна медикаментозна терапія може попередити перехід плСКЗ у СД [22,24]. У хворих із плСКЗ порушення інтелектуальної сфери проявляється ураженням мовної і зорової просторово-орієнтаційної сфер, а також амнестичними розладами, що пов'язано із функціональними та структурними порушеннями різноманітних ділянок головного мозку.…”

Analysis of the connection of the concentration of iron in basal nuclei with cognitive impairments in patients with hypertension and atherosclerotic encephalopathy in the study of changes in the magnetic susceptibility of the subcortical structures of the

“…Це обумовлено тим, що когнітивні порушення, зазвичай, є першими проявами даного захворювання. Клінічно, судинна деменція характеризується зниженням інтелекту із поступовим прогресуванням та флюктуючим типом перебігу, у той час, як розлади особистості, зазвичай, не розвиваються [24]. Судинна деменція є найрозповсюдженішим варіантом деменції після хвороби Альцгеймера [4].…”