Bioimpedance analysis as a method to evaluate the proportion of fatty and muscle tissues in progressive myopathy in pompe disease

Abstract

During progressive myopathy, the space of atrophic muscle tissue is gradually filled by fatty tissue. The proportion of these two tissue types relative to body mass provides an indication of the extent of muscle tissue destruction, i.e., the progression and severity of the disease. In this study we use Pompe disease as an example to report the new possibility of using bioimpedance analysis (BIA) to assess the relative proportion of fatty and muscle tissue in diseases associated with muscle atrophy, thus enabling the assessment of disease progression and the effectiveness of treatment. Results from BIA analysis were compared with magnetic resonance images. The results of muscle magnetic resonance images and BIA analysis were similar, which suggests that BIA may provide valuable diagnostic guidance for the assessment of the progression of the disorder.