Iron deficiency alter brain structure

Iron deficiency changes the structure of the brain, according to scientists from the University of California , USA.
Their studies show that maintaining proper levels of iron in the blood plays an important role in the formation and functioning of the central nervous system.
Iron deficiency in childhood leads to cognitive impairment , while adults has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
It is known that increasing the concentration of transferrin in the blood as a result of increased production in the liver, can be a marker of a low intake of iron.Head of the research group, Paul Thompson and his colleagues at the University of California , USA, showed that the level of transferrin in the blood of adolescents are closely associated with changes in brain structures of micro and macro level in adulthood. In addition , American scientists have identified a set of genes responsible for both transferrin levels and the development of brain structures - it is entirely possible.
It is expected that this discovery will help to clarify the mechanism by which iron ions affect cognitive functions , processes of formation of the nervous system and neurodegeneration .A group of scientists led by Paul Thompson has studied 615 healthy young siblings, including twins ( average age is 23 years). All participants performed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 574 of them made ​​and further investigation by the method used diffusion tensor imaging (DTV).
This method is based on determining the diffusion of water molecules in the myelin sheath of the axon of a nerve cell , to assess the state of brain pathways. All participants in the study is to determine the level of transferrin in serum.In the analysis of MRI and DTV were revealed following models: in adults , teens who had higher levels of transferrin, significant differences were observed in brain structures. It has been determined to reduce the amount of nuclei in the parietal - temporal region of the cerebral hemispheres , and to a lesser extent in the cortex of the frontal region .
Meanwhile, hippocampus , globus pallidus , and midbrain sudden increase in volume . During the study it was found that some of the specific gene variants HFE, are associated with a reduction in the structural integrity of the roads in the brain which affect the levels of transferrin in blood. However, none of the participants , there was no cognitive impairment or other symptoms of neurological diseases.
To elucidate the mechanisms of this relationship, further studies are needed , the researchers say . And until that happens , the researchers recommend carefully monitored to have enough iron in the diet of children and adolescents, whose brains are still in the process of maturation and is therefore extremely vulnerable.