The impact of brain iron accumulation on cognition: A systematic review

Iron is involved in many processes in the brain including, myelin generation, mitochondrial function, synthesis of ATP and DNA and the cycling of neurotransmitters. Disruption of normal iron homeostasis can result in iron accumulation in the brain, which in turn can partake in interactions which amp...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2020-10, Vol.15 (10), p.e0240697
Main Authors: Spence, Holly, McNeil, Chris J, Waiter, Gordon D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Adult
Age
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Animal cognition
Bioaccumulation
Biology and Life Sciences
Brain
Brain - physiology
Brain damage
Child
Cognition
Cognition - physiology
Cognitive ability
Correlation analysis
Cross-sectional studies
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Disease
DNA
DNA biosynthesis
Editorials
Female
Globus pallidus
Health aspects
Hippocampus
Homeostasis
Humans
Iron
Iron (Nutrient)
Iron - metabolism
Longitudinal studies
Magnetic resonance imaging
Male
Medicine and Health Sciences
Memory
Middle Aged
Mitochondria
Myelin
Neurodegeneration
Neurotransmitters
Oxidative stress
People and Places
Physiological aspects
Proteins
Putamen
Research and Analysis Methods
Reviews
Social Sciences
Systematic review
Thalamus
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Iron is involved in many processes in the brain including, myelin generation, mitochondrial function, synthesis of ATP and DNA and the cycling of neurotransmitters. Disruption of normal iron homeostasis can result in iron accumulation in the brain, which in turn can partake in interactions which amplify oxidative damage. The development of MRI techniques for quantifying brain iron has allowed for the characterisation of the impact that brain iron has on cognition and neurodegeneration. This review uses a systematic approach to collate and evaluate the current literature which explores the relationship between brain iron and cognition. The following databases were searched in keeping with a predetermined inclusion criterion: Embase Ovid, PubMed and PsychInfo (from inception to 31st March 2020). The included studies were assessed for study characteristics and quality and their results were extracted and summarised. This review identified 41 human studies of varying design, which statistically assessed the relationship between brain iron and cognition. The most consistently reported interactions were in the Caudate nuclei, where increasing iron correlated poorer memory and general cognitive performance in adulthood. There were also consistent reports of a correlation between increased Hippocampal and Thalamic iron and poorer memory performance, as well as, between iron in the Putamen and Globus Pallidus and general cognition. We conclude that there is consistent evidence that brain iron is detrimental to cognitive health, however, more longitudinal studies will be required to fully understand this relationship and to determine whether iron occurs as a primary cause or secondary effect of cognitive decline.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0240697