Repeatability of brown adipose tissue measurements on FDG PET/CT following a simple cooling procedure for BAT activation.

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) is present in a significant number of adult humans and can be activated by exposure to cold. Measurement of active BAT presence, activity, and volume are desirable for determining the efficacy of potential treatments intended to activate BAT. The repeatability of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of BAT presence, activity, and volume under controlled conditions has not been extensively studied.

Measurement of Brown Adipose Tissue Activity Using Microwave Radiometry and F-FDG PET/CT.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the operating characteristics of a microwave radiometry system in the noninvasive assessment of activated and nonactivated brown adipose tissue (BAT) and normal-tissue temperatures, reflecting metabolic activity in healthy human subjects. The radiometry data were compared with F-FDG PET/CT images in the same subjects. Microwave radiometry and F-FDG PET/CT were sequentially performed on 19 participants who underwent a cold intervention to maximize BAT activation.