QUANTITATIVE AND SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING OF SKELETAL MUSCLE CHANGES IN SARCOPENIA AT HIGH FIELD - PROJECT SUM…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_R00AG066815_075

FAIN

R00AG066815

Recipient

THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION

Awarding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Funding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Assistance listing (CFDA)

93.866

Total obligated

$857,570

Period

Aug 15, 2023 – Jul 31, 2026

Fiscal year

2023

Place of performance state

MA

Source file

FY2023_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

QUANTITATIVE AND SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING OF SKELETAL MUSCLE CHANGES IN SARCOPENIA AT HIGH FIELD - PROJECT SUMMARY SARCOPENIA, A CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS AND FUNCTION IN THE ELDERLY, IS OF INCREASING RELEVANCE IN THE UNITED STATES DUE TO ITS AGING POPULATION. IT IS GENERALLY AGREED THAT THE WEAKENING OF THE MUSCLE IN SARCOPENIA CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS ALONE, BUT THE MECHANISMS BEHIND THIS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO THE LACK OF NON-INVASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR OBSERVING MUSCLE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION IN HIGH DETAIL. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP MRI TECHNIQUES TO MEASURE MUSCLE MORPHOLOGY, MICROSTRUCTURE, AND FAT CONTENT TO GET A DETAILED VIEW OF THE CHANGES IN MUSCLE QUANTITY AND QUALITY IN PATIENTS WITH SARCOPENIA AND HOW THEY RELATE TO MORE EASILY ATTAINABLE MEASUREMENTS OF MUSCLE FUNCTION SUCH AS GRIP STRENGTH AND GAIT SPEED. THIS WOULD PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT HOW SUCH MEASUREMENTS COULD BE USED TO DEFINE SARCOPENIA, WHICH WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT. WE AIM TO DEVELOP NOVEL METHODS TO INVESTIGATE THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF MUSCLE USING ULTRA-HIGH-FIELD MRI. SPECIFICALLY, WE AIM TO (1) OBTAIN WATER-BASED IMAGES OF SKELETAL MUSCLE MACRO- AND MICROSTRUCTURE WITH UNPARALLELED EFFICIENCY, IMAGE QUALITY, AND RESOLUTION; (2) OBTAIN IMAGES OF THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF INTRAMYOCELLULAR LIPIDS IN SKELETAL MUSCLE, MEASURING BOTH METHYL AND METHYLENE TO ESTIMATE SATURATION; AND (3) TO CONDUCT A STUDY COMPARING SKELETAL MUSCLE STRUCTURE AND QUALITY BY LOOKING AT MR MEASUREMENTS OF T2 RELAXATION RATES, DIFFUSIVITY (AS PROXIES FOR INFLAMMATION AND FIBER SIZE, RESPECTIVELY), FAT FRACTION, AND LIPID COMPOSITION, IN SUBJECTS WITH SARCOPENIA AND HEALTHY CONTROLS AND SEE HOW THESE QUANTITIES CORRELATE TO MUSCLE FUNCTION. THIS PROJECT HAS SEVERAL INNOVATIVE ASPECTS. FIRST, WE WILL DEVELOP A METHOD TO ESTIMATE MUSCLE MORPHOLOGY, T2 RELAXATION RATES, AND DIFFUSIVITY WITH A SI