Age-related Iron Deposition in the Basal Ganglia: Quantitative Analysis in Healthy Subjects 1 Domenico Aquino, MSc Alberto Bizzi, MD Marina Grisoli, MD Barbara Garavaglia, PhD Maria Grazia Bruzzone, MD Nardo Nardocci, MD Mario Savoiardo, MD Luisa Chiapparini, MD Purpose: To determine the values of iron accumulation in the basal ganglia of healthy volunteers of different ages with R2* and raw signal intensity measurements from T1-weighted mag- netic resonance (MR) images, supported by voxel-based relaxometry (VBR), and to compare them with previously reported iron concentrations found in autopsy material. Materials and Methods: The ethics committee approved the study, and the partici- pants or their parents gave written informed consent. Eighty subjects (41 female and 39 male subjects; age range, 1– 80 years) were examined at 1.5 T. For each subject, R2* values were calculated. Curves for R2* versus age were obtained for globus pallidus (GP), putamen, cau- date nucleus, substantia nigra (SN), and frontal white mat- ter (FWM). To highlight possible differences in iron con- centration among the age decades, VBR was applied. Sig- nal intensity values were estimated on T1-weighted fast low-angle shot images, and regions of interest were drawn in each nucleus. R2* values were also compared with iron concentrations reported in a postmortem study. Statistical analysis was performed (t test), and a difference with P  .05 (FDR corrected) was significant. Results: The curves for R2* versus age showed an exponential increase with increasing age in all the basal ganglia. VBR demonstrated significant differences (P  .05, corrected) in the comparison between the 2nd and the following decades for lenticular nuclei. Good correlation coefficients were found for GP (R 2 = 0.64), putamen (R 2 = 0.51), and SN (R 2 = 0.53) when compared with findings in the post- mortem study. Signal intensity curves were similar to the R2* curves. Conclusion: R2* measurements can be used to quantify brain iron accumulation and thus may allow better evaluation of neu- rodegenerative diseases associated with iron deposition.  RSNA, 2009 Supplemental material: http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi /content/full/252/1/165/DC1 1 From the Departments of Neuroradiolgy (D.A., A.B., M.G., M.G.B., M.S., L.C.), Molecular Neurogenetics (B.G.), and Pediatric Neurology (N.N.), Foundation IRCCS, C. Besta Neurological Institute, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy. Received August 8, 2008; revision requested Sep- tember 8; final revision received October 23; accepted December 11; final version accepted March 5, 2009. Address correspondence to L.C. (e-mail: lchiapparini @istituto-besta.it ).  RSNA, 2009 ORIGINAL RESEARCH  NEURORADIOLOGY Radiology: Volume 252: Number 1—July 2009 ▪ radiology.rsnajnls.org 165 Note: This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues or clients, contact us at www.rsna.org/rsnarights.