Eric Keith Baxter1, Linda Chang2, Thomas Ernst2, Victor Andrew Stenger
1Electrical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Ewa Beach, HI, USA; 2Queens Medical Center, USA
As the brain ages, iron deposition in subcortical structures may play an important role in the mental health of patients. This is especially true in patients with degenerative brain diseases such as HIV. Analysis of R2 relaxation rates in HIV positive and negative subjects (ages 20 to 70 years) demonstrated increased iron content with age in subcortical brain structures, higher iron content in the thalamus of HIV subjects, and interactions between HIV status and age. The findings suggest that iron deposition may predominately affect the putamen and thalamus of HIV subjects, and contribute to brain degeneration in younger HIV patients.