Applications of Body Imaging Techniques in Clinical Practice and Biomedical Research: An Overview

Abstract

Background: Applications of imaging technology modalities have accumulated evidence that individual components of body composition (BC) have significant influences on chronic disease onset, disease progression, treatment responses and health outcomes. Objective: To analyse the currently available body imaging techniques and their applications in clinical practice and medical research. Methods: To review the various body imaging techniques and their applications in clinical practice and medical research, Medline, PubMed, Google scholar, ResearchGate and other databases were searched. Furthermore, references of selected studies and documents available in different libraries were also searched. Findings: Imaging modalities have provided a systematic method for differentiating phenotypes of BC that diverge from normal, i.e. having low bone mass (osteopenia/osteoporosis), low muscle mass (sarcopenia), high fat mass (obesity), or high fat with low muscle mass (sarcopenic obesity). Tremendous advances were made over the past decades in the sensitivity and quality of imaging techniques such as Duel-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), Computed Axial Tomography (CT), Ultrasound (US), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) etc. These imaging techniques have been useful to differentiate layers or depots within tissues and cells enhancing our understanding of distinct mechanistic, metabolic and functional roles of BC within human phenotypes. Conclusion: In the present overview, we focused on DXA, CT and US for the use in clinical practice and biomedical research relevant to future investigation of human BC and how they may be applied to remedy the pandemic of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2021; 47(2): 103-109