Comparison of animated and side by side presentation of mammograms
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Comparison of animated and side by side presentation of mammograms
IRAS ID
165929
Contact name
William A Simpson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Plymouth
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 4 days
Research summary
No matter how sophisticated the imaging equipment, a strongly limiting factor in cancer diagnosis is the visual system of the radiologist. Optimising mammogram imagery for the visual system can potentially lead to large improvements in breast cancer detection—up to 60% of mammographic errors are attributable to perceptual factors (Manning et al., 2005; Smith, 1967). We aim to improve cancer detection by presenting pairs of mammograms sequentially in an animated sequence. Such a display results in motion and flicker, to which the visual system is highly sensitive. The present study will compare the performance of radiologists when viewing anonymised mammograms using animated and conventional side by side displays.
In current practice, radiologists view mammogram pairs (left and right or current and prior) in a mirror-symmetric configuration, side by side. The tacit basis for this practice is a belief that abnormalities will be made salient because they break the perceived symmetry. However, the visual system's processing of symmetry is strongly limited. Symmetry perception is dominated by areas close to the midline (Jenkins, 1982; Gurnsey, Herbert, & Kenemy, 1998). Thus, clinically important deviations from symmetry away from the midline will be poorly detected.
The visual system is highly sensitive to motion and flicker (Watson,1986). This suggests that the detection of a difference in two images will be much better when the images are presented sequentially, creating flicker, rather than side by side. If mammograms (left and right or prior and current) are presented sequentially, a feature (such as a lesion) present in one image but absent in the other will be seen to flash on and off. In pilot experiments we have found that presenting the images in alternation can make even subtle abnormalities become highly salient, reducing the contrast required to see them by half or more.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/1255
Date of REC Opinion
14 Nov 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion