Work

Sub-voxel QSM reveals the mechanism linking substantia nigra iron and temporal diamagnetism to PD gait

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The precise underlying mechanisms linking changes in brain iron and diamagnetic substances to abnormal gait in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients remain elusive. This study compared paramagnetic and diamagnetic susceptibility ( χ para , χ dia ) in 29 PD patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs) using sub-voxel quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). The main result was in PD patients, increased χ para values in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and reduced χ dia values in the temporal cortices were correlated with gait parameters ( p < 0.05). This study suggests that the SNr, crucial for gait regulation, and temporal lobe diamagnetic alterations may underlie PD-related gait dysfunction.

Source: npj Parkinson s Disease

DOI: 10.1038/s41531-026-01413-9