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Age-related differences in the response of leg muscle cross-sectional area and water diffusivity measures to a period of supine rest

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Abstract

Object

The object was to assess whether cross-sectional area (CSA) and water diffusion properties of leg muscles in young and older women change with increased time spent in supine rest.

Materials and methods

Healthy young (n = 9, aged 20–30 years) and older (n = 9, aged 65–75 years) women underwent MRI scanning of the right leg at baseline, 30 and 60 min of supine rest. Muscle CSA was derived from proton density images. Water diffusion properties [apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA)] of the tibialis anterior and posterior, soleus, and medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius were derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Repeated measures ANOVAs and Bonferroni post hoc tests determined the effects of time and group on each muscle outcome.

Results

In both groups, muscle CSA and FA did not significantly change over time, whereas ADC significantly decreased. A greater decline at 30 min for young women was only observed for ADC in the medial gastrocnemius.

Conclusion

Regardless of age, ADC values decreased with fluid shift associated with time spent supine, whereas CSA and FA were not affected. For leg muscle assessment in young and older women, DTI scanning protocols should consider the amount of time spent in a recumbent position.

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Acknowledgments

The study was funded in part by a grant from The Arthritis Society. The authors thank Norm Konyer and the MRI technologists (Janet Burr, Cheryl Contant and Julie Lecomte) for their assistance throughout data collection. AL is funded in part by the Ontario Women’s Health Scholar Award and the Joint Motion Program, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Training Program in Musculoskeletal Health Research and Leadership.

Conflict of interest

I certify that there is no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article.

Ethical standard

This study was approved by our institutional research ethics board. Informed consent was provided by all participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, IAHS 403, 1400 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 1C7, Canada

    Amanda L. Lorbergs & Norma J. MacIntyre

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, ITB Building, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Michael D. Noseworthy

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  1. Amanda L. Lorbergs
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Correspondence to Amanda L. Lorbergs.

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Lorbergs, A.L., Noseworthy, M.D. & MacIntyre, N.J. Age-related differences in the response of leg muscle cross-sectional area and water diffusivity measures to a period of supine rest. Magn Reson Mater Phy 28, 279–290 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-014-0464-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-014-0464-1

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