Project Number: 1950-51000-061-06
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2006
End Date: Sep 30, 2011

Objective:
LAB: Body Composition Adapt newly developed technologies to create, validate, and use portable body composition methods for monitoring homebound and institutionalized elderly. Use a new approach to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry to develop a reference method for high precision body composition analysis to replace existing technology, which focuses on bone density measurements. Define the relationship between nutritional status, frailty, cognitive function, and hydration status. Validate methods to monitor and manage dehydration and frailty in nursing home elderly. Develop an in vivo whole-body protein status monitor based on minimally invasive fast neutron activation.

Approach:
LAB:Body Composition We will develop and validate a novel portable x-ray absorptiometer and a miniature plasma X-ray fluorescence analysis device to allow accurate field measurements of muscle mass and hydration. We will examine the capability of the portable instruments to evaluate body composition in the field by comparing field measurements against established reference methods. Free living elderly as well as nursing home residents will be recruited for these studies, which will also examine the capability of the new instrumentation to monitor hydration, nutritional status, and the efficacy of interventions. We will also develop and utilize a new fast neutron activation method to study body protein stores and nitrogen balance in vivo and use this methodology to develop guidelines for dietary protein intake.