Effects of Lipid-Induced Magnetic Microstructure on Fat Fraction Quantification in Muscular Dystrophies

Baudin PY, Reyngoudt H, Schunk V, Graf S, Mayer A, Starke A, Roemer F, Trollmann R, Türk M, Dörfler A, Uder M, Nagel AM, Rauh SS, Gazzerro E, Marty B, Gerhalter T (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Wiley

DOI: 10.1002/mrm.70565

Abstract

Purpose: To study the impact of mesoscopic magnetic susceptibility heterogeneity on chemical shift-encoded (CSE) proton density fat-fraction (PDFF) quantification in muscular dystrophies, a subgroup of neuromuscular disorders. Theory and Methods: In MRI, extramyocellular lipid deposits induce orientation-dependent Larmor frequency variations due to microstructural anisotropy, resulting in spatially varying frequency shifts between fat and water and increased transverse relaxation rates. A newly developed PDFF quantification method accounting for resonance shifts and dual R2* rates was applied on standard 6-point CSE acquisitions of Duchenne (n = 15), Becker (n = 31), and facioscapulohumeral (n = 30) muscular dystrophy patients, and control subjects (n = 40). The impact of frequency shifts, decay functions, and lipid models on PDFF estimation was systematically assessed. Results: Accounting for resonance shifts resulted in large PDFF quantification differences compared to a reference method (−3.8% [−14.8%, 7.2%]), significantly improved fitting quality (Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) difference ≥ 10), and reduced fat/water separation artifacts, confirming predictions by numerical simulations. Bias and variability due to the lipid model were reduced to less than 1%. Fitting quality in high R2* regions was further improved using a dual relaxation model with linear/quadratic decay (BIC difference ≥ 2). Sensitivity to change was improved on the tested cohorts (SRM increased by 0.18). DTI-estimated angular dependencies reflected theoretical and numerical predictions for elongated axially symmetric lipid deposits. Conclusion: The proposed approach improvements could enhance the PDFF quantification reliability in neuromuscular disorders studies and support more accurate monitoring of myosteatosis.

Authors with CRIS profile

Valentina Schunk Medizinische Fakultät Sina Graf Medizinische Fakultät Anna Mayer Professur für Pädiatrie am Medizincampus Oberfranken Anika Starke Medizinische Fakultät Frank Roemer Institute of Radiology Regina Trollmann Professur für Kinder- u. Jugendmedizin Schwerpunkt Neuropädiatrie Matthias Türk Department of Neurology Arnd Dörfler Lehrstuhl für Neuroradiologie Michael Uder Lehrstuhl für Diagnostische Radiologie Armin Michael Nagel Institute of Radiology Teresa Gerhalter Institute of Radiology

Involved external institutions

Institut de Myologie FR France (FR) Leiden University Medical Center NL Netherlands (NL) Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft / Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Baudin, P.Y., Reyngoudt, H., Schunk, V., Graf, S., Mayer, A., Starke, A.,... Gerhalter, T. (2026). Effects of Lipid-Induced Magnetic Microstructure on Fat Fraction Quantification in Muscular Dystrophies. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.70565

MLA:

Baudin, Pierre Yves, et al. "Effects of Lipid-Induced Magnetic Microstructure on Fat Fraction Quantification in Muscular Dystrophies." Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (2026).

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