Effect of fatigue on brain activity of radiologists reading images

• Project/Area Number: 17K16443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Kaichi Yoko 広島大学, 病院(医), 病院助教 (10629009)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
• Keywords: 疲労 / fMRI / 読影 / 放射線科医 / 専門医 / 非専門医 / 放射線診断医 / 脳活動 / 後頭葉 / functional MRI / 研究中断中 / 画像 / 脳・神経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We report that significant activation in the bilateral lingual gyri and the posterior lobes of the cerebellum was detected only in experienced radiologists performing image interpretation in the pre-fatigue state. When they interpreted images in the fatigued state, we detected no activation. No activation was found when less experienced radiologists read images in the pre-fatigue or the fatigued state. Our fMRI(functional MRI) study may contribute to a better understanding of the brain activity in diagnostic radiologists performing their daily reading tasks.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

画像検査の増加・放射線診断専門医の不足により放射線診断専門医に過重な労働負荷がかかり、画像の読影における病変見逃しや誤診が問題となっている。今回我々は、画像診断を行っている際の放射線診断医の脳活動をfMRIで分析した。これは、病変の見逃しや誤診を防止できる効率的読影法や読影環境の調整法の開発に結びつく可能性がある。