OBESITY RESEARCH
Open Journal
http://dx.doi.org/10.17140/OROJ-4-129
Obes Res Open J
ISSN 2377-8385
Measurement of Fat Content in the
Human Body by Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance Methods
Nikolay V. Anisimov, DSc, (Phys & Math), Senior Scientist
1
; Mikhail V. Gulyaev, PhD,
(Phys & Math), Scientist
1
; Olga S. Pavlova, MSc, (Phys & Math), Postgraduate student
2
;
Yury A. Pirogov, DSc, (Phys & Math), Professor
2*
on behalf of the LMRS MSU Study
Group
#
#
LMRS MSU is the Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Spectroscopy of the Lomonosov Moscow State University,
Moscow, Russia
1
Department of Fundamental Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
2
Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
*
Corresponding author
Yury A. Pirogov, DSc, (Phys & Math)
Professor
Department of Physics
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia
Tel. +79852339322
E-mail: yupi937@gmail.com
Article History
Received: November 30
th
, 2016
Accepted: December 14
th
, 2016
Published: December 14
th
, 2016
Citation
Anisimov NV, Gulyaev MV, Pavlova
OS, Pirogov YA. Measurement of
fat content in the human body by nu-
clear magnetic resonance methods.
Obes Res Open J. 2016; 4(1): 19-23.
doi: 10.17140/OROJ-4-129
Copyright
©2016 Pirogov YA. This is an open
access article distributed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (CC BY 4.0),
which permits unrestricted use, dis-
tribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work
is properly cited.
Volume 4 : Issue 1
Article Ref. #: 1000OROJ4129
Page 19
Research
LMRS Study Group Members
Principal Investigator: Alexey R. Khokhlov
Contributing investigators: Nikolay V. Anisimov, Mikhail V. Gulyaev, Alexey B. Mantsyzov, Olga S. Pavlova,
Valery B. Petuchov, Yury A. Pirogov, Vladimir I. Polshakov and Oleg Yu Savelev.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Characteristics of adipose tissue in the human body refect the specifcs of metabolism
in the body, and therefore present an interest for the medical diagnostics. It is useful to apply
the methods that allow to get such information non-invasively, namely with the help of high
resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI).
Material and Methods: In the present study, we have implemented such techniques by using the
0.5-Tesla MRI scanner Bruker Tomikon S50. Processing MRI images was carried out using
graphical tools of ImageJ software.
Results: Measurements of fat content in the human body by NMR spectroscopy were carried
out on the 0.5 T MRI scanners. The NMR spectra were obtained from the separate parts of the
body and then combined. The peaks of water and fat were determined in this composite spec-
trum. Their analysis provided information about the content of fat in the human body. To spa-
tially select the scanned volume, we applied the methods of local NMR spectroscopy with the
use of non-uniform (gradient) felds. We then compared spectral data with the average density
of the body for each study subject, as well as with the volume of fat found from the MR images.
The correlation between these parameters was established.
Conclusion: There is an inverse relationship between the average body density and the fat-to-
water ratios obtained from spectroscopy (IF/IW) and MRI (VF/V) data. For any person, the
correlation between the real body fat percentage and the ratio of water and fat peaks from the
whole-body NMR spectra takes place.
KEYWORDS: Local nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy; Whole body magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI); Fatty tissue.
ABBREVIATIONS: NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; MR: Magnetic Resonance; MRI:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging; RF: Radio Frequency; T1: Spin-lattice relaxation time; T2:
Spin-spin relaxation time; WI: Weighted Image; FSE: Fast Spin Echo; TR: Time of Repetition;
TE: Time of Echo; ETL: Echo Train Length.