Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Applied Neuroimaging
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1518911
This article is part of the Research Topic Bridging Gaps in Neuroimaging: Enhancing Diagnostic Precision in Cerebrovascular Disease View all 6 articles

Evaluating iron deposition in gray matter nuclei of patients with acute ischemic stroke using quantitative susceptibility mapping

Provisionally accepted
Li Zhou Li Zhou Jie Yang Jie Yang Wei Zhang Wei Zhang Limei Han Limei Han Shenghai Zhou Shenghai Zhou Chunyan Zheng Chunyan Zheng Hao Feng Hao Feng Jianquan Zhong Jianquan Zhong *
  • Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objectives Understanding the microscopic pathophysiological mechanisms underlying acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is vital for facilitating early clinical diagnosis and intervention. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively assess brain iron changes in gray matter (GM) nuclei in patients with AIS via quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Methods Thirty-four patients with AIS and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. QSM and conventional magnetic resonance imaging were performed. Intergroup differences in regional susceptibility values were calculated for the bilateral caudate nucleus (CN), globus pallidus (GP), putamen (PUT), red nucleus (RN), substantia nigra (SN), thalamus (THA), and dentate nucleus (DN). A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to evaluate the classification and diagnostic performance of susceptibility values in distinguishing patients with AIS from HCs. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of clinical variables on susceptibility values. Correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between regional iron variations and clinical scores. A paired t test was used to calculate the differences in susceptibility values between the bilateral hemispheres in the participants. Results Compared with the HCs, the patients with AIS had significantly increased susceptibility values in the bilateral CN and PUT (P < 0.05, FDR correction). The highest diagnostic performance was observed in the combination of susceptibility values with differences between groups (AUC=0.722). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that increased susceptibility in the right CN was significantly associated with smoking (P < 0.05). The susceptibility values were not significantly correlated with the clinical scores (P > 0.05), but age was positively correlated with the modified Rankin Scale scores at admission (P < 0.05). The susceptibility values of the SN exhibited lateral asymmetry in patients with AIS. Conclusions This study revealed increased iron concentrations in the GM nuclei of patients with AIS. Iron deposition in GM nuclei may be a potential biomarker for further understanding the pathophysiological mechanism underlying AIS.

    Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke, Brain iron, Quantitative susceptibility mapping, gray matter nuclei, Caudate Nucleus, Putamen

    Received: 29 Oct 2024; Accepted: 04 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhou, Yang, Zhang, Han, Zhou, Zheng, Feng and Zhong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jianquan Zhong, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.