Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Chiang G, Hu J, Morris E, Wang Y, Gauthier S
Journal AJNR Am J Neuroradiol
Volume 39
Issue 3
Pagination 467-472
Date Published 01/25/2018
ISSN 1936-959X
Keywords Gray Matter, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Neuroimaging, Thalamus
Abstract BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Both thalamic iron deposition and atrophy have been reported in patients with multiple sclerosis compared with healthy controls, but how they are related is unclear. The purpose of this study was to understand the pathophysiologic basis for this iron deposition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-five patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis underwent 3T MR imaging with a standardized protocol that included quantitative susceptibility mapping to measure iron concentration and a 3D T1 echo-spoiled gradient-echo sequence to obtain thalamic volumes. Volumes of interest were manually delineated on the quantitative susceptibility map to encompass both thalami. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the association between thalamic susceptibility and volume. Associations between thalamic susceptibility and total gray matter volume, cortical thickness, and T2 lesion volume were also assessed. RESULTS: The relative susceptibility of the thalamus was associated with T2 lesion volume (P = .015) and was higher in the presence of enhancing lesions (P = .013). The relative susceptibility of the thalami was not associated with thalamic volumes, total gray matter volumes, or cortical thickness (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Iron levels in the thalami are associated with T2 lesion burden and the presence of enhancing lesions, but not with thalamic or gray matter volumes, suggesting that iron accumulation is associated with white matter inflammation rather than gray matter neurodegeneration.
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A5537
PubMed ID 29371258
PubMed Central ID PMC6060040
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