Objective: To investigate subcortical brain iron deposition as a potential predictor of the bioenergetic status in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Background: The underlying pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease is complex, and different molecular pathways are involved including brain iron deposition and mitochondrial dysfunction. On a molecular level, these disease mechanisms are likely interconnected and, therefore, offer potential strategies for disease-modifying treatments.

Method: Thirty patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease underwent multimodal imaging (T1, Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging) and ³¹Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging. Contrast-to-noise ratios based on the SWI images of the putamen, caudate, globus pallidus, and thalamus for each hemisphere were used in a multiple linear regression model to predict in-vivo high-energy containing metabolites.

Results: Subcortical brain iron deposition, particularly in the putamen and the globus pallidus, were highly predictive of the region-specific amount of high-energy-containing phosphorus metabolites in our subjects.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that brain iron deposition but not the individual neuroanatomy is highly predictive of mitochondrial impairment in vivo. These findings offer the opportunity, e.g., by using chelating therapies, to improve mitochondrial bioenergetics in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

References: n/a

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/relationship-of-subcortical-iron-deposition-and-mitochondrial-dysfunction-in-patients-with-idiopathic-parkinsons-disease/