Brain MRI muscle thickness shows promise as sarcopenia indicator: study

A Korean research team has demonstrated the potential to utilize temporal muscle thickness (TMT), measured via brain MRI, as an assessment indicator for sarcopenia.

Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital announced on Monday that a research team led by Professor Park Kang-min of the Department of Neurology and Professor Kim Jin-seung of the Department of Family Medicine at Inje University Busan Paik Hospital verified that TMT, easily obtainable from brain MRI, could serve as an alternative indicator for sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia could previously be diagnosed through grip strength tests, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). However, these methods had limitations, including high testing costs, accessibility issues with equipment, and potential radiation exposure.

The research team conducted a study involving 28 healthy adults recruited from both hospitals between 2018 and 2023. Participants underwent TMT measurement via 3-Tesla MRI scans. Simultaneously, the researchers used “Allgeun” to assess the participants’ handgrip strength (muscle strength), calf and thigh circumference (muscle mass), and five-rep chair stand test (physical performance).

Analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between TMT and calf and thigh circumference, as well as grip strength. This suggests TMT can serve as an imaging indicator reflecting muscle mass and strength. However, no clear association was found with the five-rep chair stand test, which assesses physical performance.

The study results confirm, for the first time globally in healthy adults, that TMT can serve as a new radiological indicator for sarcopenia. It also suggests that the diagnostic device Allgeun, developed by the research team, can be utilized as a practical screening and evaluation tool in clinical settings.

“The advantage of temporal muscle thickness is that it allows for a simple assessment of sarcopenia risk using existing brain MRI data, without requiring additional tests or radiation exposure,” Professor Park said. “It could be utilized as a screening test for sarcopenia in elderly patients or those with chronic diseases in the future.”

Professor Kim stated, “The Allgeun diagnostic tool developed by our team is a compact device capable of simultaneously measuring grip strength, muscle mass, and physical performance. It is highly useful for the early diagnosis and severity assessment of sarcopenia. Additional research and product development will follow to enable its widespread use in primary care settings.”

The research findings were published in the specialized journal Healthcare under the title “Temporal Muscle Thickness and Sarcopenia Components in Healthy Adults, Validated through Allgeun Diagnostic Tool.”