An Updated Overview of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Iron in Movement Disorders

Abstract

Brain iron load is one of the most important neuropathological hallmarks in movement disorders. Specifically, the iron provides most of the paramagnetic metal signals in the brain and its accumulation seems to play a key role, although not completely explained, in the degeneration of the basal ganglia, as well as other brain structures. Moreover, iron distribution patterns have been implicated in depicting different movement disorders. This work reviewed current literature on Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Brain Iron Detection and Quantification (MRI-BIDQ) in neurodegenerative processes underlying movement disorders.

Iron content affects age group differences in associative learning-related fMRI activity

“…Thus, the positive iron-BOLD relationship seen here is not simply a result of overt motor contributions as might be the case with the SRTT. The reduced motor demands of our task also make it unlikely that this correlation reflects any effect of striatal iron on motor dysfunction in aging, which has been demonstrated in both rhesus monkeys (Cass et al, 2007) and humans (Tambasco et al, 2022). Third, working memory processes that are well-known to decline with age are thought to be less involved in the TLT than the SRTT (e.g., Janacsek & Nemeth, 2013).…”

7T MRI detects widespread brain iron deposition in neuroferritinopathy

“…Brain iron accumulation can be detected in vivo using MRI 5,6 . Previous studies using 1.5T and 3T MRI in neuroferritinopathy showed iron deposition in the basal ganglia but did not detect the more widespread iron deposition seen even in early disease stages at postmortem 1,7–9 .…”

“…Brain iron accumulation can be detected in vivo using MRI. 5 , 6 Previous studies using 1.5T and 3T MRI in neuroferritinopathy showed iron deposition in the basal ganglia but did not detect the more widespread iron deposition seen even in early disease stages at postmortem. 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 Other case reports of 3T MRI in neuroferritinopathy show cortical iron deposition, particularly in the motor cortex, and suggest this “pencil sign” may be specific to neuroferritinopathy.…”

Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism syndromes: Evaluating iron deposition in the putamen using magnetic susceptibility MRI techniques - A systematic review and literature analysis

“…Iron deposition has been implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases, and MRI techniques are increasingly being used to quantify iron levels in the brain [ 10 , 11 ]. Therefore, MRI susceptibility methods can potentially detect and quantify iron and neurodegeneration in the brain [ 8 , 12 ]. These methods include T2*-weighted (T2*-w) imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), R2* mapping, and phase imaging [ [13] , [14] , [15] ].…”