title: Assessment of iron deposition and white matter maturation in infant brains by using enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN): R2* versus phase values.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Iron deposition and white matter (WM) maturation are very important for brain development in infants. It has been reported that the R2* and phase values originating from the gradient-echo sequence could both reflect the iron and myelination. The aim of this study was to investigate age-related changes of R2* and phase value, and compare their performances for monitoring iron deposition and WM maturation in infant brains.
  
  
  METHODS
  56 infants were examined by enhanced T2 star weighted angiography (ESWAN) and diffusion tensor imaging in the 1.5T MRI system. The R2* and phase values were measured from the deep gray nuclei and WM. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were measured only in the WM regions. Correlation analyses were performed to explore the relation among the two parameters (R2* and phase values) and postmenstrual age (PMA), previously published iron concentrations as well as FA values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significantly positive correlations between the R2* values and PMA in both of the gray nuclei and WM. Moreover, R2* values had a positive correlation with the iron reference concentrations in the deep gray nuclei and the FA in the WM. However, phase values only had the positive correlation with PMA and FA in the internal capsule, and no significant correlation with PMA and iron content in the deep gray nuclei.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the phase values, R2* may be a preferable method to estimate the iron deposition and WM maturation in infant brains.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China ; Nuclear Medicine Department of The Second Affiliate Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China ; Radiology Department of Baoji Center Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yumiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of Baoji Center Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhuanqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ed X
authors.initials: EX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Youmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D066127:White Matter / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron