Relationship between electric conductivity, water content, and protein content in brain tumors

Strong mutual relation is observed between tissue electrical conductivity, water content, and sodium concentration. However, it was recently reported that the relation between conductivity and water content might hold only for healthy tissue but be violated in tumors. It was furthermore reported that water content relates only to free sodium, while conductivity additionally relates also to sodium bound to proteins. A discrepancy between water content and conductivity might thus indicate protein concentration. The current study confirms this hypothesis by comparing the discrepancy between water content and conductivity with Amide Proton Transfer imaging as a marker of protein concentration.