Quantitative comparison of T1, T2, T1ρ, and ADC for assessing age-related intervertebral disc degeneration

Age-related degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVDs) is a key contributor to chronic low back pain. In this study, we performed a multiparametric comparison of four quantitative MRI (qMRI) parameters-T₁, T₂, T_1ρ, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-in a cohort of 20 healthy volunteers (mean age: 40 ± 15 years, range: 19-64 years) using a 3T clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. All parameters were measured at the L3/L4 disc level, and region-specific analyses were conducted for the nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF). Statistically significant inverse correlations with age were observed in the NP for all four parameters, while no such correlations were found in the AF. Among the measured metrics, T_1ρ demonstrated the strongest age dependency with Pearson correlation of -0.93, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for early degenerative changes in the IVD. These results establish a foundation for future research to further investigate T_1ρ as a potential clinical biomarker for early detection of intervertebral disc degeneration.