Quantitative 7T phase imaging in premanifest Huntington disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Biophysics

Background:

• Huntington disease (HD) is characterized by striatal iron accumulation and atrophy.
• Neuronal loss and iron are implicated in HD pathogenesis.
• Premanifest HD subjects may show early pathological changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate quantitative phase alterations in the caudate nucleus of premanifest Huntington disease (HD) using 7T MRI.
• To assess if quantitative phase reflects iron content and tissue microstructure changes in early HD.
• To correlate quantitative phase with disease burden and neurocognitive function.

Main Methods:

• 13 premanifest HD subjects and 13 controls underwent 3T and 7T MRI.
• Local field shift (quantitative phase proxy) was calculated from 7T phase images.
• Caudate regions of interest were analyzed, correlating local field shift with clinical data.

Main Results:

• Premanifest HD subjects showed smaller caudate volume and higher local field shift than controls.
• Local field shift positively correlated with genetic disease burden.
• Quantitative phase showed trends with neurocognitive tests for working memory and executive function.

Conclusions:

• 7T MRI quantitative phase is altered in the caudate nucleus of premanifest HD.
• These phase alterations correlate with genetic disease burden and neurocognitive function.
• Ultra-high-field MRI quantitative phase shows promise for monitoring HD neurodegeneration.