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Discovery and disclosure of incidental findings in neuroimaging research
Author(s) -
Illes Judy,
Kirschen Matthew P.,
Karetsky Kim,
Kelly Megan,
Saha Arnold,
Desmond John E.,
Raffin Thomas A.,
Glover Gary H.,
Atlas Scott W.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20180
Subject(s) - neuroradiologist , neuroimaging , modalities , medicine , protocol (science) , medical physics , magnetic resonance imaging , psychology , radiology , pathology , psychiatry , alternative medicine , social science , sociology
Purpose To examine different protocols for handling incidental findings on brain research MRIs, and provide a platform for establishing formal discussions of related ethical and policy issues. Materials and Methods Corresponding authors identified from a database of peer‐reviewed publications in 1991–2002 involving functional MRI (fMRI), alone or in combination with other imaging modalities, were invited to participate in this web‐based survey. The survey asked questions regarding knowledge and handling of incidental findings, as well as characteristics of the scanning environment, training required, IRB protocol requirements, and neuroradiologist involvement. Results Seventy‐four investigators who conduct MRI studies in the United States and abroad responded. Eighty‐two percent (54/66) reported discovering incidental findings in their studies, such as arteriovenous malformations, brain tumors, and developmental abnormalities. Substantial variability was found in the procedures for handling and communicating findings to subjects, neuroradiologist involvement, personnel permitted to operate equipment, and training. Conclusion Guidelines for minimum and optimum standards for detecting and communicating incidental findings on brain MRI research are needed. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;20:743–747. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.