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Increased iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra correlates with cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study
Mengmeng Feng, Yuan Wang, Xiaoyi Liu, Senhao Zhang, Weizhao Lu, Tao Wang, Haiqing Song, Jie Lu. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 2025-11-12
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a major contributor to stroke and dementia. Current neuroimaging markers inadequately explain its mechanisms. Sixty-one CSVD patients and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were retrospectively analyzed. CSVD patients were divided into mild CSVD burden group and severe CSVD burden group according to the total CSVD burden score. The susceptibility values of deep nuclei were obtained based on quantitative susceptibility mapping. The differences in susceptibility values among the three groups were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis H test with Bonferroni correction, and correlations with MoCA-related cognitive scores were evaluated via Spearman's analysis. CSVD patients exhibited increased susceptibility values in bilateral caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra (SN), and left red nucleus, and decreased susceptibility values in left amygdala, compared to HC. The susceptibility values in right putamen, left SN pars compacta and bilateral pallidus, SN pars compacta effectively distinguished CSVD patients from HC. Higher iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra is associated with cognitive impairment. These findings provide evidence that abnormal iron metabolism occurs in multiple deep nuclei, with region-specific accumulation in bilateral putamen and right substantia nigra serving as potential imaging markers of cognitive dysfunction in CSVD.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Feng, M., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Zhang, S., Lu, W., Wang, T., et al. (2025). Increased iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra correlates with cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678x251377569
Vancouver
Feng M, Wang Y, Liu X, Zhang S, Lu W, Wang T, et al. Increased iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra correlates with cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. 2025. doi:10.1177/0271678x251377569. PMID: 41229080.
BibTeX
@article{feng2025-41229080,
author = {Feng, Mengmeng and Wang, Yuan and Liu, Xiaoyi and Zhang, Senhao and Lu, Weizhao and Wang, Tao and Song, Haiqing and Lu, Jie},
title = {{Increased iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra correlates with cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study}},
journal = {Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow \& Metabolism},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1177/0271678x251377569},
pmid = {41229080},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678x251377569}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- CSVD patients exhibited increased susceptibility values in bilateral caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra (SN), and left red nucleus, and decreased susceptibility values in left amygdala, compared to HC.
- Higher iron deposition in putamen and substantia nigra is associated with cognitive impairment.
- These findings provide evidence that abnormal iron metabolism occurs in multiple deep nuclei, with region-specific accumulation in bilateral putamen and right substantia nigra serving as potential imaging markers of cognitive dysfunction in CSVD.
Why it matters
In 61 patients with cerebral small vessel disease and 32 controls, patients showed increased iron-related susceptibility values in several deep brain nuclei, and higher iron deposition in the putamen and substantia nigra was associated with cognitive impairment. This identifies potential imaging markers of small vessel disease, but it is a small observational study and does not test any treatment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 33/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism: journal h-index 285 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jie Lu: h-index 51 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Capital Medical University: institution h-index 643 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41229080) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
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