Variation in Brain Iron Levels in MS and CIS

Longitudinal 3T MRI study identifies brain differences

June 2, 2015|ICYMI Multiple Sclerosis

Iron accumulation in the basal ganglia is more pronounced in the early phases of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and definite multiple sclerosis (MS), but short-term changes in iron concentration are not associated with disease activity or changes in disability, a longitudinal 3T MRI study of 144 patients reports.

Investigators followed patients both clinically and with 3T MRI for an average of 3 years and found:

• Subcortical gray matter iron deposition was higher in MS than CIS at baseline.

• In CIS, R2* rates increased in the globus pallidus, putamen, and caudate nucleus, but decreased in the thalamus.

• In MS, R2* rates increased in the putamen, remained stable in the globus pallidus and caudate nucleus, and decreased in the thalamus.

Citation: Khalil M, Langkammer C, Pichler A, et al. Dynamics of brain iron levels in multiple sclerosis: A longitudinal 3T MRI study. Neurology. 2015. pii:10.1212/WNL.0000000000001679. [Epub ahead of print]

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