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

Acknowledgements

The authors are incredibly grateful to the families who participated in this study. In addition, they thank the Samoan Ministry of Health for their support of this study. Finally, the authors thank the Samoan field team for their critical assistance in implementing the study protocol.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Access to the dataset may be granted upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the MacMillan Center International Dissertation Research Fellowship and the Downs International Health Student Travel Fellowship at Yale University; National Institutes of Health grants T32GM136651 (Yale University Medical Scientist Training Program) and R01HL093093 (PI: Stephen McGarvey); and National Science Foundation grant BCS DDRIG 1749911 (PI: Kendall Arslanian).