Associations of quantitative susceptibility mapping with cortical atrophy and brain connectome in Alzheimer's disease: a multi-modal study

Motivation: Associations between abnormal quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), brain atrophy, and altered brain connectome in AD remain unclear. Goal(s): We aim to examine imaging markers from various MRI modalities, with a focus on their spatial correlations, to enhance our understanding of AD pathology. Approach: By combining multi-contrast MRI techniques, our study provides new insights into the overlapping relationships among brain atrophy, altered regional QSM, and brain connectome. Results: We observed a remarkable overlap between reduced cortical thickness and abnormal QSM in seven distinct brain regions. In AD patients, we identified specific regional correlations between cortical thickness and network topology from these overlapping brain regions. Impact: Our study provides new insights into the complex relationships among iron accumulation, brain atrophy, and brain connectome in Alzheimer's disease.