Original ArticleThermal Imaging to Assess Age-Related Changes of Skin Temperature within the Supraclavicular Region Co-Locating with Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Children
Section snippets
Methods
All studies were undertaken in healthy volunteers who were at least 1 hour postprandial; had remained sedentary during this period; had not consumed any caffeine, drugs, or alcohol; and were maintained in a room of constant temperature (19°-21°C). Informed written consent was obtained from all participants and/or their parent/carer, in the case of children. The study was performed with local institutional ethics committee approval.
Each subject was in a relaxed “steady-state” within a familiar
Results
The time course of the thermal response to placing 1 hand in cold water was similar for all subjects and peaked within 5 minutes of the challenge (Figure 1, B). The anatomic site in which the increase in temperature was recorded is shown in Figures 2 and 3, indicating that the hottest site measured by thermal imaging was similar to that previously established to be BAT on PET/CT.16 Furthermore, Figure 3 demonstrates the position of this region in relation to the visible surface anatomy. The
Discussion
We have demonstrated a consistent, and highly localized, increase in local temperature within the supraclavicular region that directly corresponds to the main site of BAT, previously established from PET/CT scans and biopsy studies,1, 2, 3, 14 although this remains to be correlated directly with tissue biopsy and simultaneous PET/CT. The thermogenic response in this region, indicative of nonshivering thermogenesis, occurred rapidly (ie, within 5 minutes of any thermal challenge), which is in
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Funded in part by the Nottingham University Hospital's Charity. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.