Magnetic susceptibility changes in the brainstem reflect REM sleep without atonia severity in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder

REM sleep without atonia (RWA) is the hallmark of isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and is caused by neurodegeneration of brainstem structures. Previously, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) was shown to detect microstructural tissue changes in neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of the study was to compare brainstem magnetic susceptibility (MS) in iRBD and controls using the voxel-based QSM approach and to examine the association between brainstem MS and severity of RWA in iRBD. Sixty iRBD patients and 41 healthy controls were included in the study. Phasic, tonic, mixed RWA and SINBAR score was quantified. QSM maps were reconstructed with QSMbox software from a multi-gradient-echo sequence acquired at 3T MRI system and normalized using a custom T1 template. Voxel-based analysis with age and gender as covariates was performed using a two-sample t-test model for between-group comparison and using a linear regression model for association with the RWA parameters. Statistical maps were generated using threshold free cluster enhancement with p-value p < 0.05, corrected for family wise error. Compared to controls, the iRBD group had higher MS in bilateral substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus and the ventral tegmental area. MS positively correlated with iRBD duration in the right pedunculotegmental nucleus and white matter of caudal mesencephalic and pontine tegmentum and with phasic RWA in bilateral SN. QSM was able to detect MS abnormalities in several brainstem structures in iRBD. Association of MS levels in the brainstem with the intensity of RWA suggests that increased iron content in SN is related to RWA severity.