Magnetic resonance imaging of brain iron in health and disease.
Brain iron is a major contributor to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast in normal gray matter, and its role in the pathogenesis of different neurological disorders has also become apparent. Non-heme brain iron is present in the brain mainly in the form of ferritin. The unique magnetic properties of ferritin determine different signal changes on both T1- and T2-weighted images, and the T2 relaxation rates have a linear dependence on applied field strength. This finding is typical for ferric oxyhydroxide cores. The resulting T2-shortening also depends on echo-spacing used in the imaging sequence as well as on the water diffusion coefficient and the size of the ferritin cluster. Quantitation of non-heme brain iron by MRI aids in the diagnosis and monitoring of different neurological diseases.
Vymazal
J
J
Neuroimaging Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Brooks
R A
RA
Patronas
N
N
Hajek
M
M
Bulte
J W
JW
Di Chiro
G
G
D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology*
D007501:Iron