The Brain Iron Research With Venous Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent MRI In Vivo

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relation between signal intensity of Venous Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent MRI and the brain iron concentration, and to explore the brain iron distribution in the healthy adult and the discrepancies in the age, gender, hemispheres, and in parkinson's disease.Materials and methods75 cases of healthy volunteers who were divided into five age groups, and 15 cases of parkinson's disease were selected to perform 3.0T MR examination which included routine and VEN_BOLD head sequences. The signal values of dentate nucleus, red nucleus, substantia nigra, caput nucleus caudate, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus on VEN_BOLD were measured by manual measuring tools of Extended MR Workspace Release 2.6.3.Correlation analysis of the values of VEN_BOLD of 45 healthy adult's nucleus and iron concentration of nucleus according to literature was done, to evaluate the reliability of VEN_BOLD in quantifying the brain iron concentration. According to VEN_BOLD signal values of brain gray nucleus changes, to estimate the diversity of the brain iron content distribution between hemispheric locations, gender groups, and different age groups. The difference VEN_BOLD signal values of brain gray nucleus between Parkinsonians and healthy adults were compared.ResultFirst the values of VEN_BOLD of 45 healthy adult's each nucleus and iron concentration of each nucleus according to literature were rectilinear negative correlation(r=-0.893, p=0.007). The values of VEN_BOLD signal of GP,RN,SN between hemispheric locations have none significant deviation(P>0.05). The value of VEN_BOLD signal of THA,CNC,DN,PUT between hemispheric locations have significant deviation(P<0.05). The values of VEN_BOLD signal of brain gray nucleus were no statistical difference between gender groups(P>0.05). The values of VEN_BOLD signal of brain gray nucleus have significant deviation(P<0.05) in difference age groups(P<0.05). Obviously negative correlations between age and VEN_BOLD signal values were shown in brain gray nucleus except THA. The age-related changes of VEN_BOLD signal values of the gray nucleus have different trend. VEN_BOLD signal values of SN were statistical difference between PD group and healthy group(P<0.05). VEN_BOLD signal values of other brain gray nucleus were no statistical difference between PD group and healthy group(P>0.05).ConclusionVEN BOLD can estimate the brain iron concentration in vivo. The brain iron distribution of the normal is uneven. We speculate that the asymmetry of iron concentration of some brain gray nucleus between hemispheric locations may be related to the differences of brain function between bilateral hemispheres. Gender may be not the source of the difference in iron concentration in the human brain. Iron levels increase with ageing in the brain. The trends of the age-related changes of the brain iron concentration of the gray nucleus are different. Iron concentration of SN of Parkinsonian has idiosyncratic increase. Measurement the VEN_BOLD signal value of substantia nigra may contribute to diagnose PD.