Altered brain iron deposition patterns in iron deficiency anemia

Motivation: Women with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) have significant cognitive and sensorimotor deficits proportional to body iron bioavailability. Goal(s): To identify changes in brain iron distribution in female IDA patients. Approach: We measured iron susceptibility in 35 female IDA patients and 19 healthy controls (CNT) using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Results: Systematic increases and decreases in iron deposition were seen between IDA and CNT subjects across the bilateral thalami, left putamen, left caudate, left nucleus accumbens, bilateral hippocampi, and bilateral amygdalae. Iron deficiency severity correlated with these findings. Impact: This is the first study to demonstrate abnormal brain iron deposition in IDA patients, proportional to IDA severity. Brain iron deposition may provide pathophysiological insight into cognitive dysfunction and serve as an imaging biomarker to guide iron replacement strategies.