Evaluation of iron deposition in the motor CSTC loop of a Chinese family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia using quantitative susceptibility mapping

Fangfang Xie; Ting Mao; Jingyi Tang; Linmei Zhao; Jiuqing Guo; Huashan Lin; Dongcui Wang; Gaofeng Zhou

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1164600

Evaluation of iron deposition in the motor CSTC loop of a Chinese family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia using quantitative susceptibility mapping

Front Neurol. 2023 Jul 6:14:1164600. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1164600. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Fangfang Xie^#¹, Ting Mao^#¹, Jingyi Tang¹, Linmei Zhao¹, Jiuqing Guo¹, Huashan Lin², Dongcui Wang^{1

3}, Gaofeng Zhou^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Diagnosis, GE Healthcare, Changsha, China.
³ National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies have revealed structural, functional, and metabolic changes in brain regions inside the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop in patients with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD), whereas no quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM)-related studies have explored brain iron deposition in these areas.

Methods: A total of eight familial PKD patients and 10 of their healthy family members (normal controls) were recruited and underwent QSM on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging system. Magnetic susceptibility maps were reconstructed using a multi-scale dipole inversion algorithm. Thereafter, we specifically analyzed changes in local mean susceptibility values in cortical regions and subcortical nuclei inside the motor CSTC loop.

Results: Compared with normal controls, PKD patients had altered brain iron levels. In the cortical gray matter area involved with the motor CSTC loop, susceptibility values were generally elevated, especially in the bilateral M1 and PMv regions. In the subcortical nuclei regions involved with the motor CSTC loop, susceptibility values were generally lower, especially in the bilateral substantia nigra regions.

Conclusion: Our results provide new evidence for the neuropathogenesis of PKD and suggest that an imbalance in brain iron levels may play a role in PKD.

Keywords: cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical loop; iron deposition; multi-scale dipole inversion; paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD); quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81671676, 82071894, and 91959117) and the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province (2020RC4007).