Development of an MRI Pipeline for Non-Invasive Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) Assessment in Paediatric Patients: A Preliminary Study

Motivation: Research indicates that metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) impacts brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity. Current gold-standard assessment of BAT uses ionising radiation. Goal(s): To develop and evaluate an MRI pipeline for the non-invasive assessment of BAT function in paediatric patients with MASLD and healthy controls (HC). Approach: Enrolling 14 HC and 9 MASLD patients, we utilised a 6-point Dixon technique for proton density fat fraction (FF) and R2* measurements. Results: Significant differences in BAT characteristics before and after cold exposure were observed in HC. However, limitations such as a small patient sample size emphasise the need for further larger studies. Impact: The proposed MRI pipeline enables non-invasive assessment of brown adipose tissue, enhancing understanding of its role in energy metabolism. This method has significant implications for evaluating metabolic conditions, potentially improving patient outcomes in metabolic diseases.