Metabolic Diseases
Conditions
Keywords
Metabolic Diseases, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Body Composition
Brief summary
This study aims to leverage structural, functional, and metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to identify imaging features that correlate with clinical parameters. It is hypothesized that individuals with metabolic diseases exhibit distinct functional and structural brain differences compared to healthy controls. These differences may evolve over time due to changes in whole-body metabolism or body weight, influenced by factors such as the natural progression of the disease or therapeutic interventions. Additionally, potential brain changes may correlate with body composition metrics, such as the fat content of specific body compartments. This is a prospective, single-center study conducted at Ulm University Hospital, designed to track the clinical and imaging histories of patients with metabolic diseases and compare them to healthy individuals. Eligible participants include adults (aged 18 and older) capable of providing informed consent. Recruitment will occur through routine clinical care or existing research studies. To provide a comprehensive understanding, the study will include both cross-sectional analyses and longitudinal follow-up of participants, integrating repeated assessments during routine medical visits.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
University of Ulm
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* patients with metabolic diseases OR * healthy control participants without metabolic diseases * written consent
Exclusion criteria
* History of traumatic brain injuries * preterm birth (≤34th week of pregnancy) of the study participant * history of brain surgery * structural brain changes (e.g., tumors, congenital abnormalities, etc.) * neurological developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, intellectual disability) * epilepsy, * drug addiction * other severe neurological or severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia * pregnancy * acute clinically relevant inflammatory diseases * acute systemic or local infections * severe or etiologically unclear diseases depending on the principle investigators judgement * pre-existing intellectual impairment * significant limitations in language comprehension * absence of written consent * general
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Structural differences in the brain between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls | cross-sectional and up to 5 years, depending on regular visits as part of routine patient care that, however, are not part of this scientific project. | Comparison of brain anatomical magnetic resonance imaging sequences (T1- and T2-weighted sequences) between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls give insights into structural features in patients with metabolic diseases. |
| Functional differences in the brain between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls | cross-sectional and up to 5 years, depending on regular visits as part of routine patient care that, however, are not part of this scientific project. | Comparison of brain functional magnetic resonance imaging between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls will give insights into functional aspects of patients with metabolic diseases. |
| Metabolic differences in the brain between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls | cross-sectional and up to 5 years, depending on regular visits as part of routine patient care that, however, are not part of this scientific project. | Comparison of brain metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST)", MR-spectroscopy) between patients with metabolic diseases and healthy controls give insights into metabolic features in patients with metabolic diseases |
| Body Composition derived from magnetic resonance imaging | cross-sectional and up to 5 years, depending on regular visits as part of routine patient care that, however, are not part of this scientific project. | Magnetic resonance imaging (DIXON sequence or fat-water imaging to determine the "Proton Density Fat Fraction" (PDFF)) will be used to determine the fat content in the different compartments of the whole body. |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
CONTACTMartin Heni, Prof. Dr. med.
CONTACTNico Sollmann, PD Dr. Dr. med.
Outcome results
None listed