Contrast mechanisms associated with Neuromelanin-MRI Paula Trujillo1,2, Paul Summers1, Emanuele Ferrari3, Fabio A. Zucca3, Michela Sturini4, Luca Mainardi2, Sergio Cerutti2, Alex K Smith5,6, Seth A Smith5,6,7, Luigi Zecca3, Antonella Costa1 1 Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, MI, Italy 2 Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, MI, Italy 3 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, MI, Italy 4 Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Pavia, PV, Italy 5 Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA 6 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA 7 Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Full postal and email address of the corresponding author: Paula Trujillo Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Department of Neuroradiology Via F. Sforza 35 20122, Milan, MI, Italy Email:
[email protected] Abbreviations: BSA = bovine serum albumin; DS = direct saturation; LC = locus coeruleus; MT = magnetization transfer; NM = Neuromelanin; PD = Parkinson’s Disease; PSR = pool size ratio; qMT = quantitative MT; RF = radiofrequency; SN = Substantia Nigra; TSE = turbo spin echo. Abstract Purpose: To investigate the physical mechanisms associated with the contrast observed in neuromelanin-MRI. Methods: Phantoms having different concentrations of synthetic melanins with different degrees of iron loading were examined on a 3T scanner using relaxometry and quantitative magnetization transfer (MT). Results: Concentration-dependent T1- and T2-shortening was most pronounced for the melanin pigment when combined with iron. Metal-free melanin had a negligible effect on the magnetization transfer spectra.