QSM is an incredible tool for evaluating and quantifying neurovascular damage in high resolution because it allows for greater visualization of tissue differentiation—e.g. the appearance of calcium (which appears dark) or iron (which appears bright). And when compared to the outputs of a CT scan, QSM is more sensitive to visualizing blood products.

These attributes make QSM useful for biomarker detection for neurodegenerative diseases like stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia, tumors, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. Outside of these biomarkers, it has also shown promise in evaluating the extent of tissue damage as well as quantifiably tracking the healing’s progress.

For example, a recently published paper used the STAGE™ version of QSM to noninvasively evaluate changes in asymmetrical oxygen saturation in acute ischemic stroke patients’ cortical veins. Researchers used QSM as a reliable method to longitudinally evaluate changing oxygen levels of the areas surrounding tissues damaged by reduced oxygen flow during the stroke as well as the brain’s capacity to regulate tissue oxygen levels in damaged areas.

Over the course of several weeks, the high-resolution scans helped researchers quantify the positive impacts of each patient’s treatment on their overall prognosis by clearly showing the difference in cortical vein oxygenation during each scan. There is evidence that QSM could allow clinicians to measure meaningful differences between people who react well to stroke treatments versus those who don’t while helping them determine how salvageable damaged tissue is.

The Future of Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) in Clinical Applications

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