Mark David Meadowcroft1,2, James R. Connor3,
Qing X. Yang1,3
1Radiology - Center for NMR Research,
Pennsylvania State University - College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United
States; 2Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State
University - College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States; 3Neurosurgery,
Pennsylvania State University - College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United
States
Conventional
belief is that iron associated with beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques is the
underlying mechanism for plaque contrast in transverse imaging. Through detailed histological MR
examination in comparison to traditional histology methods utilizing iron
chelation of plaques, this body of work has determined that there is a dual
relaxation associated with human (Aβ)
plaques. Removal of iron from human (Aβ) plaques still results in plaque MR imaging
and relaxation. The data indicate that
iron content alone is not responsible for the hypo-intensities seen on the MR
images and that there is a synergy between iron and plaque morphology on
transverse relaxation.
Keywords