Thermal Imaging of Brown Adipose Tissue in Humans (TIBATH study)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Assessment of the usefulness of Thermal Imaging to Quantify Brown Adipose Tissue Activation in Clinical Settings
IRAS ID
212218
Contact name
John Alcolado
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
There are two main types of fat cell in the human body. “White” fat cells are a store of energy and accumulate around a variety of organs in the body and under the skin when people eat more food than they require, causing obesity. On the other hand, there are far fewer “brown” fat cells in the body which burn up energy to produce heat. Brown fat activity plays a role in the control of temperature and may be an important target for the treatment of obesity. Until recently, the only way of measuring brown fat was by performing scans that require radiation (e.g. CT or PET/MRI scans) or by taking biopsies. We have previously shown that thermal imaging cameras can visualise brown fat in humans and how it varies in different situations. The aim of this study is to assess whether thermal imaging would be a valuable way of assessing brown fat activity in a variety of clinical situations where brown fat is thought to play an important role. We will perform pilot studies of thermal imaging in patients with obesity, before and after bariatric surgery,in patients with high prolactin levels (because prolactin is important in controlling brown fat), in patients with fatty liver disease, and in patients coming to hospital with a high temperature. Thermal imaging is much safer, quicker, cheaper and easier to perform than CT scans or biopsies. The results of these pilots will help us design larger studies of the value of thermal imaging in humans.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0167
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion