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2d ago

MRI Measure of Brain Iron Predicts Onset of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Findings point to a potential early-risk biomarker that requires validation before clinical use.

If confirmed in larger studies with more diverse patient populations, the findings point to a role for QSM MRI in the workup of patients at risk of dementia. Credit: Neuroscience News

Overview

  • A Johns Hopkins–led Radiology study tracked 158 cognitively unimpaired adults for up to about 7.5 years, with amyloid PET available for 110 participants.
  • Higher baseline magnetic susceptibility in the entorhinal cortex and putamen predicted progression to mild cognitive impairment and faster cognitive decline.
  • Risk associations were stronger in individuals with elevated amyloid, and iron measures and amyloid burden showed independent links with MCI that together accelerated global decline.
  • Quantitative susceptibility mapping is a noninvasive MRI method that maps magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for regional brain iron and could help flag high-risk individuals for earlier intervention if confirmed.
  • Investigators and an accompanying editorial urged replication in larger, more diverse cohorts, technical standardization of QSM, and exploration of iron-targeted therapies.