A Review of Currently Available Body Imaging Techniques and their Applications in Clinical Practice and Biomedical Research

Background: Imaging modalities have advanced both clinical practice and research by providing a systematic method for differentiating phenotypes of human BC that diverge from what is considered normal, that is, having low bone mass (osteopaenia/osteoporosis), low muscle mass (sarcopenia high-fat mass, obesity), or high-fat with low muscle mass (sarcopenic obesity). 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: This study analyzed 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, Research Gate, and other databases were searched. Furthermore, references to selected studies and documents available in different libraries were also searched. Many comprehensive reviews have been published on assessing BC using various imaging methods.

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 have been 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. Advances in DXA, CT, and US techniques have increased their applications in assessing adipose and lean tissue in various body deposits. US has become one of the most convenient imaging methods that have emerged for quantifying tissue amounts and types, due to widespread availability in clinical practice. These imaging techniques have been useful in differentiating 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, focus was given on the DXA, CT, and US for 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.