David
Neil Manners1, Giovanni Rizzo1,2, Claudia Testa1,
Caterina Tonon1, Roberto Vetrugno2, Sara Marconi2,
Giuseppe Plazzi2, Fabio Pizza2, Federica Provini2,
Emil Malucelli1, Bruno Barbiroli1, Pasquale Montagna2,
Raffaele Lodi1
1Spectroscopy
Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Aging and Nephrology, Universit di
Bologna, Bologna, BO, Italy; 2Neurological Sciences, University of
Bologna, Bologna, BO, Italy
Objectives.
To apply phase imaging to the evaluation of brain iron content in patients
with Restless Legs Syndrome. Methods. 11 RLS patients and 11 controls were
studied using gradient echo imaging, and localised and whole brain ROIs
selected on derived phase maps, sensitive to paramagnetic tissue. Results. In
the whole brain analysis, RLS patients showed 10th and 90th percentile phase
values significantly different from controls. The 10th percentile for RLS
patients correlated with disease duration. Conclusions. Whole brain phase
analysis is a suitable technique to study brain iron content and disclose
reduced cerebral iron in RLS patients.