Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Identification of Disease-related Spatial Covariance Patterns using Neuroimaging Data
Published on: June 26, 2013
Iron dysregulation in cerebral small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study revealing spatial
Pengcheng Liang1, Meng Li2, Qihao Zhang3
1Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Background:
White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) represent a cardinal feature of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), yet iron dysregulation alterations within these lesions and their relationship to cognitive decline remains poorly understood.
Objectives:
To characterize iron dysregulation in WMH using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and examine their relationship with CSVD severity and cognitive function.
Design:
Cross-sectional study with longitudinal follow-up component.
Setting:
Single-center study at Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Shandong First Medical University, China.
Participants:
299 participants recruited from January 2021 to September 2023, with 71 participants completing longitudinal follow-up (mean interval 20.6 months). Participants were categorized into early CSVD (0 points, n = 171), mild CSVD (1 point, n = 70), and severe CSVD (≥2 points, n = 58) groups based on total burden scoring.
Intervention:
None (observational study).
Measurements:
3.0T MRI with quantitative susceptibility mapping and diffusion tensor imaging. Spatial analysis examined susceptibility values in WMH cores and perilesional zones (0-2 mm, 2-4 mm, 4-6 mm). Cognitive assessments included Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and other neuropsychological tests.
Results:
WMH susceptibility values were significantly lower than normal-appearing white matter (-14.55 vs -7.77 ppb, P < 0.001) with progressive increases correlating with CSVD severity (P < 0.001). Cross-sectionally, higher WMH susceptibility values correlated with lower MoCA scores (r = -0.155, P = 0.045). Longitudinally, WMH susceptibility values predicted decline in information processing speed (SDMT: β = -0.247, P = 0.042). Spatial analysis revealed distinct patterns with perilesional regions showing intermediate susceptibility values.
Conclusions:
Iron dysregulation alterations within WMH provide independent information about cognitive risk in CSVD. QSM emerges as a promising biomarker for monitoring cognitive trajectory and may facilitate early identification of patients at risk for cognitive decline.
More Related Videos
05:12A Mouse Model for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Based on Needle-guided Asymmetric Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Stenosis
Published on: November 22, 2024
07:30Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021