title: Low brain iron content in idiopathic restless legs syndrome patients detected by phase imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to use phase imaging to evaluate brain iron content in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen RLS patients and 15 healthy controls were studied using gradient-echo imaging. Phase analysis was performed on localized brain regions of interest selected on phase maps, sensitive to paramagnetic tissue. Differences between the 2 subject groups were evaluated using ANCOVA including age as a covariate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher phase values were present in the RLS patients compared with healthy controls at the level of the substantia nigra, thalamus, putamen, and pallidum, indicating reduced iron content in several regions of the brain of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have used MRI phase analysis to study brain iron content in idiopathic RLS in vivo for the first time. Our results support the hypothesis of reduced brain iron content in RLS patients, which may have an important role in the pathophysiology of the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Functional MR Unit, Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Neurology Unit, Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; "IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna,", Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manners
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tonon
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vetrugno
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plazzi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pizza
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Provini
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malucelli
authors.forename: Laura Ludovica
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Gramegna
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lodi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D007501:Iron
keywords: MRI; RLS; iron; phase imaging