Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM)

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM)

• Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) provides a novel contrast mechanism in Magnetic Resonance
•  Imaging (MRI) different from traditionalSusceptibility Weighted Imaging. QSM enables the investigation of tissue magnetic susceptibility in a quantitaive and specific manner using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• QSM is a software for image reconstruction that can be seamlessly integrated into clinical practice.

• The voxel intensity in QSM is linearly proportional to the underlying tissue apparent magnetic susceptibility,

• QSM is useful for chemical identification and quantification of specific biomarkers including iron, calcium, gadolinium, and super paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nano-particles. 

• QSM utilizes phase images, solves the magnetic field to susceptibility source inverse problem, and generates a three dimensionalsusceptibility distribution.

• Due to its quantitative nature and sensitivity to certain kinds of material, potential QSM applications include standardized quantitative stratification of cerebral microbleeds and neurodegenerative disease, accurate gadolinium quantification in contrast enhanced MRI, and direct monitoring of targeted theranostic drug biodistribution in nanomedicine.

• According to  the researchers from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.QSM could prove "an important tool for diagnosing and tracking the progression of MULTIPLE SLEROSIS (MS) and other neurological diseases,"
•  The power of the new imaging approach QSM  is in quantifying nerve changes and separating the white matter degeneration observed in MS (myelin damage, which affects nerve insulation) from iron deposition.
• QSM has  the ability to track the neurodegenerative changes over time, which could lead to future diagnostic tools to monitor patients' MS disease progression.