title: Intravoxel incoherent motion MR imaging measurements of the bilateral parotid glands at 3.0-T MR: effect of age, gender and laterality in healthy adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of age, gender and laterality on the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MR imaging measurements of parotid glands in healthy participants at 3.0-T MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 108 healthy participants were prospectively recruited. IVIM MRI scan was performed using a 3.0-T MR scanner, and corresponding parameters (perfusion fraction, f; pseudodiffusion coefficient, D*; tissue diffusivity, D) were derived from biexponential fitting of IVIM data. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the association between the IVIM MRI parameters and age. The parameter difference between male and female participants or between left and right parotid glands was compared using unpaired or paired t test, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excellent interreader and intrareader agreements on the measurements of IVIM MRI parameters were achieved. Both D and f values correlated inversely with the age in both left and right parotid glands (p < 0.05) while D* value did not (p > 0.05). Male participants had higher IVIM MRI parameters than the female participants in both left and right glands (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the IVIM MRI parameters between left and right glands in both male and female participants (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IVIM MRI parameters are age and gender dependent, but not laterality dependent. Age- and gender-related effect should be taken into consideration in future IVIM MRI studies for parotid glands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Both D and f values correlated inversely with the age in healthy parotid glands, while D* value did not. (2) The parotid glands of males showed higher IVIM MRI parameters than that of females. (3) There were no significant differences on the IVIM MRI parameters between the left and right glands. (4) Age- and gender-related effect should be taken into consideration in future IVIM MRI studies for parotid glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Yi
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xun-Ning
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Yun
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D015588:Observer Variation; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult