Edinburgh Imaging

MSc projects 2021 003

The use of MRI in assessing brain iron deposition and its effects on cognition.

Abstract:
  • Aims: To identify an MRI method (or methods) that consistently identifies iron deposition in structures related to cognition, as well as to evaluate if the studies investigating a specific disease process (or normal aging process) identified the same structures consistently for that disease process.
  • Methods: A systematic review was conducted from 2000-2020 to determine the various MRI methods used to assess brain iron deposition in relation to cognition.
  • Results: 36 studies were included and within this group, 2 MRI methods (QSM and SWI) appeared more promising than the others in terms of identifying iron deposition within the brain.  Also, various disease processes appeared to involve brain iron deposition, but no one disease process appeared to correlate with the same structures consistently in terms of iron deposition and cognition.
  • Conclusion: Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to explore the MRI techniques and the various disease processes in order to assess brain structures for iron deposition in cognition.
Project type:
  • Systematic review
Imaging keywords:
Application / disease keywords:
  • Cognition
  • Iron deposition 
Supervisor(s):
Programme:
Year:
  • 20-21