Phase value assessment reveals iron accumulation in parkinson disease

Abstract

PD is characterized by iron accumulation in the substantia nigra (SN) different from healthy controls. We aim to quantify iron accumulation via susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in Parkinson disease (PD). Twenty patients with PD and 21 healthy controls were included in this study. The SWI phase value was evaluated from SN in two areas (middle midbrain and lateral side of middle midbrain) at the axial plane for both sides (right and left). The PD group was divided into two subgroups after clinical examination: the affected side (AS), which was the contralateral of the clinically prominent side and the non-affected side (NAS). The subgroups were analyzed individually. The results of both sides compared between the PD and control groups, as well as between the PD subgroups. The phase values were statistically different in the PD-AS and control group in both areas (< 0.001). Furthermore, at the middle midbrain, the PD-NAS showed a statistical difference compared with the control group (p=0.002). Within the PD groups, only the lateral side of the middle midbrain area (LMMA) demonstrated a statistical difference between the AS and NAS subgroups (p = 0.005). Phase value assessment is useful to demonstrate the effect of iron accumulation on substantia nigra in PD.