Susceptibility weighted imaging evaluation of brain iron content of gray nucleus in healthy people

Objective To observe the changes of brain iron in deep gray nucleus(including substantia nigra,red nucleus,globus pallidus,putamen,caudate nucleus)with susceptibility weighted imaging(SWI)in healthy people.Methods A total of 171 healthy adults(86 males and 85 females)were selected to perform SWI examination.All of volunteers were divided into five age groups in term of ten years:20-29(n=31),30-39(n=33),40-49(n=35),50-59(n=40)and 60-69(n=32).The signal values of substantia nigra,red nucleus,globus pallidus,putamen,caudate nucleus on SWI were quantificationally measured.The relationship between SWI signal values of deep brain gray nucleus and age was analyzed.Results In the 20-39 years old group,SWI signal values of substantia nigra,globus pallidus,red nucleus,caudate nucleus,putamen had statistical differences(P0.001).The SWI signal values changed in the smooth in caudate nucleus and globus pallidus during the period of 20-39 years old,and increased rapidly after 40 years old in all brain gray nucleus(especially red nucleus and putamen).Obvious correlations between age and SWI signal values were shown in substantia nigra(r=-0.759),red nucleus(r=-0.875),putamen(r=-0.880)and caudate nucleus(r=-0.524),while weakly correlation was displayed in globus pallidus(r=-0.211).Conclusion SWI provides a new method to detect brain iron and quantificationally measure the anatomical localization and age-related iron concentration changes.