Brain Iron Toxicity and Neurodegeneration - A 7T MRI Study

Brain Iron Toxicity and Neurodegeneration - An Ultrahigh Field (7T) MRI Study

A longitudinal observational neuroimaging study of individuals with Early Onset Alzheimer's disease during the prodromal phase, and matched control group - Ultrahigh Field MRI study at 7T

This study aims to determine whether high resolution MRI at 7T and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) can demonstrate a specific pattern of iron overload in strategically important areas of brain as a sensitive marker of pathological Alzheimer's disease i.e. patients with subjective or mild cognitive impairment associated with Amyloid or tau pathological state in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ability to provide informed consent
• Patients with pathological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease according to the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association, NIA-AA, criteria (Alzheimer's group) or cognitively normal individuals within 1.5 standard deviation of normal in all tests (control group)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of mental capacity to consent to study involvement
• Not speaking English before age 5 years
• Learning disability
• Schizophrenia
• Substance misuse
• Implanted devices not certified as compatible with ultra-high field MRI (e.g. cardiac pacemaker)
• Pregnancy