title: Patterns of Brain Iron Accumulation in Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer's Dementia Using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emerging evidence suggests that the excessive accumulation of iron in subcortical and deep gray matter has been related to dementia. However, the presence and pattern of iron accumulation in vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are rarely investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine and compare the pattern and presence of brain iron accumulation of VaD and AD using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with VaD, 27 patients with AD, and 18 control subjects were recruited in this institutional review-board approved study. Susceptibility maps were reconstructed from a three-dimensional multiecho spoiled gradient-echo sequence. Four regions of interest were drawn manually on QSM images, namely the globus pallidus, putamen, caudate nucleus, and pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus. Comparisons of patient demographics, and iron concentrations among the VaD, AD, and control subjects were assessed using analysis of variance and post-hoc analyses. The relationships of age and cognitive state with susceptibility values were assessed using partial correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In VaD and AD, overall susceptibility values were higher than those of control subjects. A significant difference in susceptibility values was found in the putamen and caudate nucleus (p <  0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). However, susceptibility values did not differ between VaD and AD. Age and cognitive deficit severity were not related to susceptibility values in the VaD and AD groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased iron deposition in the putamen and caudate nucleus in VaD and AD patients was not associated with age or the severity of cognitive deficits. Further evaluations are needed to determine the temporal changes in iron load and their diagnostic role in dementia pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeonsil
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Center for Geriatric Neuroscience Research, Institute of Biomedical Science, Konkuk Medical Science Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seol-Heui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Center for Geriatric Neuroscience Research, Institute of Biomedical Science, Konkuk Medical Science Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003071:Cognition; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007501:Iron
keywords: Cognitive decline; imaging; iron