Feasibility of using infrared thermal imaging to examine brown adipose tissue in infants aged 18 to 25 months

Abstract

Background Recent studies in adults indicate that cold-induced temperature change of supraclavicular skin corresponds with brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Aim This study examined the feasibility of using thermography to assess temperature changes in infants aged 18–25 months after mild cooling. Further, this study sought to evaluate whether cold exposure induces a thermal response suggestive of BAT activity underlying the supraclavicular region. Subjects and Methods Changes in maximum skin temperature at the supraclavicular and interscapular regions were determined using thermal imaging following a mild 5-minute cooling condition (by removal of clothes in a climate-controlled room) in 67 Samoan infants. Temperature changes of the forehead and hand, known BAT-free regions, served as indicators of cooling efficacy. Results Infants with increased hand and forehead temperatures after cold exposure were excluded from analysis, reducing the effective sample size to 19 infants. On average, forehead (p < 0.001), hand (p < 0.001) and back (0.029) temperatures dropped significantly while supraclavicular temperatures remained constant. Participants with greater decreases in forehead temperature tended to exhibit greater supraclavicular thermogenesis (p = 0.084), suggesting potential BAT activity in this region. Conclusions While further work is necessary to develop a reliable cooling condition, this study provides proof-of-concept for non-invasive assessment of BAT activity in infants.

Keywords

• brown adipose tissue (bat)
• infrared thermal imaging
• infancy