Abstract #2938

Strategized Replication: Exploring Inconsistencies in QSM-Based Studies of Brain Iron in Multiple Sclerosis

Fahad Salman¹, Niels Bergsland¹, Michael G. Dwyer^1,2, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman³, Robert Zivadinov^1,2, and Ferdinand Schweser^1,2

¹Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States, ²Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States, ³Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Quantitative Susceptibility mapping, Multiple sclerosis, QSM, thalamus, group differences, susceptibility, patients

Motivation: Contradicting evidence exists on thalamic iron alterations in multiple sclerosis, with most studies using susceptibility measurements reporting lower (susceptibility) iron but one study reporting higher.

Goal(s): To investigate if the study reporting higher thalamic susceptibility can be reproduced.

Approach: We matched demographics and clinical characteristics to the original study (higher susceptibility) and employed six QSM pipelines (two background field removal and three inversion algorithms).

Results: Using the original study's pipeline, thalamic and putamen susceptibility was 8ppb (p=0.046) and 1ppb higher in patients, respectively. GP (-7 ppb) and caudate (-1 ppb) showed lower susceptibilities. Consistent group-differences with varying p-values were observed with each pipeline.

Impact: This study was able to attribute inconsistencies in observed thalamic (susceptibility) iron alterations to the clinical and demographic characteristics of the studied cohort and provided support for the notion that study outcomes are comparable between different QSM pipelines.

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