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White Matter Tract Injury is Associated with Deep Gray Matter Iron Deposition in Multiple Sclerosis
Author(s) -
Bergsland Niels,
Tavazzi Eleonora,
Laganà Maria Marcella,
Baglio Francesca,
Cecconi Pietro,
Viotti Stefano,
Zivadinov Robert,
Baselli Giuseppe,
Rovaris Marco
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/jon.12364
Subject(s) - white matter , medicine , diffusion mri , susceptibility weighted imaging , expanded disability status scale , fiber tract , pathology , fractional anisotropy , multiple sclerosis , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , gastroenterology , radiology , psychiatry
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE With respect to healthy controls (HCs), increased iron concentrations in the deep gray matter (GM) and decreased white matter (WM) integrity are common findings in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The association between these features of the disease remains poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between deep iron deposition in the deep GM and WM injury in associated fiber tracts in MS patients. METHODS Sixty‐six MS patients (mean age 50.0 years, median Expanded Disability Status Scale 5.25, mean disease duration 19.1 years) and 29 HCs, group matched for age and sex were imaged on a 1.5T scanner. Susceptibility‐weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were used for assessing high‐pass filtered phase values in the deep GM and normal appearing WM (NAWM) integrity in associated fiber tracts, respectively. Correlation analyses investigated the associations between filtered phase values (suggestive of iron content) and WM damage. RESULTS Areas indicative of increased iron levels were found in the left and right caudates as well as in the left thalamus. MS patients presented with decreased DTI‐derived measures of tissue integrity in the associated WM tracts. Greater mean, axial and radial diffusivities were associated with increased iron levels in all three GM areas ( r values .393 to .514 with corresponding P values .003 to <.0001). Global NAWM diffusivity measures were not related to mean filtered phase values within the deep GM. CONCLUSIONS Increased iron concentration in the deep GM is associated with decreased tissue integrity of the connected WM in MS patients.