Increased brain iron deposition in the basial ganglia is associated with cognitive and motor dysfunction in type 2 diabetes

Motivation: Diabetes is thought to be related to an imbalance in iron homeostasis and abnormal iron accumulation. Goal(s): To explore the changing mode of brain iron metabolism in basal ganglia in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and diabetes without DPN (NDPN) using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Approach: Brain iron of T2DM was assessed using QSM. Results: Susceptibilities in the putamen and the caudate nucleus were higher in T2DM than in healthy controls, while there was no significant difference between the DPN and NDPN groups. Susceptibility of the putamen negatively correlated with moto- and cognitive function in T2DM. Impact: Iron-based susceptibility in the putamen, measured by QSM, can reflect the motor function in patients with type 2 diabetes, and might hint micro pathological changes in brain tissue in patients with type 2 diabetes.