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Impact of whole-body MRI in a general population study

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Abstract

This study examined the long-term impact of whole-body MRI and the disclosure of incidental findings on quality of life (QoL) and depressive symptoms in a general population cohort. Analyses were conducted among 4420 participants of the Study of Health in Pomerania SHIP-Trend cohort, of which 2188 received a whole-body MRI examination. A 2.5-year postal follow-up of SHIP-Trend (response: 86 %) included the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), based on which the Mental Health Component Summary Score (MCS), and Physical Health Component Summary Score (PCS) were computed. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was applied to assess depressive symptoms. Generalized estimation equation models were used to assess intervention effects, and statistical weights were applied to account for selective attrition. MRI participants had higher levels of education and employment than nonparticipants. Mean QoL indicators differed little at baseline between MRI participants and nonparticipants. Intervention effects per year on depression and QoL were negligible in (1) MRI participants versus nonparticipants [PCS: unstandardized β = −0.06 (95 % CI −0.30 to 0.18); MCS: β = −0.01 (95 % CI −0.29 to 0.29); PHQ-9: 0.08 (−0.03 to 0.18)], and (2) MRI participants with a disclosed incidental finding versus those without [PCS: β = −0.03 (−0.39 to 0.33); MCS: β = −0.26 (95 % CI −0.65 to 0.13); PHQ-9: 0.03 (−0.10 to 0.15)]. The body site of the finding had only minor effects on the course of our studied outcomes. Whole-body MRI can be implemented in a population-based study without long-term effects on QoL indicators and depressive symptoms. This does not exclude the possibility of effects on more subtle psychosocial outcomes, such as health concerns or health behaviour, all of which require further attention.

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Acknowledgments

The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) is part of the Community Medicine Research Network at the University of Greifswald, Germany, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Grant No. 03ZIK012), the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and the Social Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Whole-body MR imaging was supported by a joint grant from Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany, and the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR mammography research was supported by Bayer Healthcare. Our work was further supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Grant No. SCHM 2744/1-1).

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Author notes

  1. Elizabeth Sierocinski

    Present address: Miller School of Medicine MS-2, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Str. 48, 17475, Greifswald, Germany

    Carsten Oliver Schmidt, Elizabeth Sierocinski, Sebastian E. Baumeister & Henry Völzke

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, 17475, Greifswald, Germany

    Katrin Hegenscheid

  3. Institut für Epidemiologie und Präventivmedizin, University Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Sebastian E. Baumeister

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine of Greifswald, 17475, Greifswald, Germany

    Hans J. Grabe

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Correspondence to Carsten Oliver Schmidt.

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Schmidt, C.O., Sierocinski, E., Hegenscheid, K. et al. Impact of whole-body MRI in a general population study. Eur J Epidemiol 31, 31–39 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-015-0101-y

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