.
Purpose Tinnitus and hearing loss are the most prevalent service-related auditory disabilities among American veterans. Previous studies have examined gray matter or white matter alterations in tinnitus and hearing loss relative to healthy controls, but typically in isolation, and none of them have focused specifically on a military-affiliated population. Methods We employed voxel-based morphometry to assess gray matter differences and diffusion tensor imaging to evaluate white matter integrity in tinnitus and/or hearing loss compared to controls in a sample of 68 military-affiliated adults (56 men, 10 women, two identifying as 'other' gender). Additionally, we conducted an exploratory, hypothesis-generating effect size analysis to describe the magnitude of group differences. Results Combined tinnitus and hearing loss was associated with decreased gray matter volume in the thalamus. White matter integrity was reduced in the forceps minor, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Hearing loss alone was associated with white matter orientation changes in the right anterior thalamic radiation, left supe-rior longitudinal fasciculus, and right corticospinal tract. Larger effect sizes were noted in white matter comparisons across tinnitus, hearing loss, and combined conditions, suggesting that white matter differences may be of greater magnitude than gray matter alterations. Conclusion These findings advance the understanding of the neural correlates of tinnitus and hearing loss in the military population, an understudied group with a high prevalence of tinnitus and hearing loss. They also present preliminary effect size estimates that may inform future studies on the neural correlates of tinnitus and hearing loss, indicating a larger overall magnitude in white matter and more subtle contributions from gray matter.
Multiple articles have touted the longitudinal promise of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology, including projections of streamlining repetitive tasks, improving workflow, and reducing physician burnout. The purpose of this article is to review publications directly assessing the impact of AI on radiologist burnout and the impact of AI on the established drivers of radiologist burnout. Our analysis found conflicting, inconclusive limited data that AI reduces radiologist burnout, and the balance of data does not support that AI improves the drivers of burnout. How AI affects radiologist burnout remains a “black box”, with the final impact yet to be determined. Question While AI has been touted to reduce radiologist burnout, the literature to date supporting this claim has not been explored. Findings Our analysis found inconclusive, limited data that AI reduces radiologist burnout, and that the balance of data does not support that AI improves the drivers of burnout. Clinical relevance Despite the optimism towards AI implementation in radiology, how AI truly affects radiologist burnout remains a “black box”, with the final impact yet to be determined.
The American College of Radiology’s Prostate MR Image Quality Improvement Collaborative identified the factors of MRI protocol optimization, patient preparation, personnel training, and performance monitoring and feedback as key drivers of prostate MR image quality and developed interventions to address these areas.
There are many challenges associated with the safe use of fluoroscopy. These challenges include but are not limited to highly variable regulatory requirements, scope of practice concerns, inconsistent education and training, and lack of staff empowerment. Challenges are further compounded by the increasing use of fluoroscopy across a wide range of medical specialties. To facilitate consensus on how to address the issues, the ACR convened the multidisciplinary Blue Ribbon Panel on Fluoroscopy Safety (BRP-FS), with 32 organizations represented. The goal of the BRP-FS is to establish multi- and interspecialty consensus standards for the safe use of fluoroscopy in health care, including minimum and uniform standards for the education and training of fluoroscopy users that apply across geographic and professional boundaries, for the benefit of all patients and health care providers. Recommendations are made for local practices, professional organizations, industry, regulatory agencies, and accreditation bodies. Foundational to the recommendations of the BRP-FS are the personnel training and procedure classification frameworks in National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement Commentary No. 33.
