MRI quantification of body composition
Research type
Research Study
Full title
To quantify the accuracy of MRI fat measurements and investigate the effect of body composition on these measures.
IRAS ID
224777
Contact name
S C Wayte
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UHCW
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The quantification of body fat provides a valuable measurement in looking at body composition, but it is the changes in body fat in patients prior to and after treatment, in endurance athletes and in members of expeditions that may be more important in assessing well being and planning diet. Whilst the measurement of body composition with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using modified Dixon sequences that produce separate fat and water (lean tissue) images is now routine, the accuracy and precision (the smallest change that can be detected) of the body composition measurements using MRI is unknown. A related problem is how the values of accuracy and precision are affected by body composition, particularly in subjects whom there is minimal body fat which is particularly relevant to patients who lose weight as a result of disease or treatment, to athletes and to those undertaking expeditionary travel. In this project, having established the accuracy and precision of MRI fat measurements using phantoms, we will measure the regional and total body fat in 10 subjects (5 male and 5 female) with a range of body mass indices (BMIs) and compare the total body fat against air displacement plethysmography (BodPod™). The latter is a non-intrusive and rapid method of measuring body composition. The density of the body is calculated from the body mass and the volume of air displaced by the body. Subsequently a total fat free mass and a total fat mass is calculated either from two compartment models (assuming a constant distribution of fat) or by integrating the body density into multi-compartment models. For this study air displacement plethysmography is regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for measuring body composition and comparing the two methods will give a measure of the accuracy of using MRI to measure total body fat.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0108
Date of REC Opinion
15 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion