The new brain exploration of magnetic resonance predicts the risk of Alzheimer’s years before the symptoms are developed

Iron levels in the brain could be a warning sign of Alzheimer’s future disease, it suggests a new study.

It has been shown that the high levels of the chemical element increase brain toxins and trigger neurodegeneration, resulting in a cognitive decrease, especially when they interact with abnormal amyloid and tau proteins that are the distinctive pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease.

Johns Hopkins University researchers found that a special magnetic resonance technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can measure brain iron levels.

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“QSM is an advanced magnetic resonance technique developed in the last decade to measure the magnetic susceptibility of tissues with good precision,” said the main author of the study, Xu Li, PHD, associate professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, in a press release.

“QSM can detect small differences in iron levels in different brain regions, providing a reliable and non -invasive form of mapping and quantifying iron in patients, which is not possible with conventional RM approaches.”

Compared to traditional image options for Alzheimer’s diagnosis, including PET scanns, magnetic resonance QSM is “non -invasive and much more affordable,” according to researchers.

This measurement could help predict the probability of mild cognitive impairment (DCL) and cognitive impairment, even if the person has not shown symptoms.

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In the study, which was published in Radiology, the researchers tested the magnetic resonance technique in 158 cognitively not affected participants of a previous research project.

After a follow -up period of 7 and a half years, the team concluded that the highest iron levels in two key parts of the brain were linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is generally a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.

“Changes in brain iron can be measured years before memory loss, when participants are still cognitively normal.”

“The key conclusion of our study is that the highest levels of cerebral iron, especially in some critical brain regions related to memory and learning (the entorrinal cortex and the putamen, as shown in our study), are linked to a risk of two to four times higher to develop DCL and faster cognitive decline,” said Li News Digital.

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“And such brain iron changes can be measured years before memory loss, when participants are still cognitively normal.”

“Using QSM, we find greater cerebral iron in some regions related to memory that are linked to a greater risk of developing cognitive impairment and faster cognitive deterioration,” Li said. “This risk is even higher when participants have higher levels of amyloid pathologies.”

The study had some limitations, LI said, including the smallest group of participants.

“The study population comes from a specialized cohort consisting of mainly white and highly educated participants with a strong family history of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the researcher.

If the greatest and most diverse studies confirm these findings, they could support the use of this magnetic resonance technique for patients with a higher risk of dementia, liberation declared.

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“I think we should have hope,” Li said. “We can use this type of tool to help identify patients with the highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and potentially guide early interventions as new treatments are available. In addition, in addition to serving as a biomarker, brain iron can become a future therapeutic objective.”

Researchers also expect to make QSM technology more standardized, faster and more accessible in clinical practice, he added.

Li pointed out that while brain iron is associated with neurodegeneration and could lead to faster cognitive impairment, it is also an important element for cognitive health and the development of neurods at an early age.

“While currently iron therapies (to eliminate iron) for Alzheimer’s, its effect is not very clear and much more research is needed,” he said.

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The study was supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Images and Bioengineering, National Institute of Aging and National Health Institutes.