Press Releases

Several press releases will be distributed to the media highlighting research presented at RSNA 2017. RSNA's media outreach helps the public gain a greater understanding of radiology and its role in personal healthcare. The following research developments were released to the media in advance of the annual meeting.

MRI Uncovers Brain Abnormalities in People with Depression and Anxiety (NR394-SD-THB4)

Researchers using MRI have discovered a common pattern of structural abnormalities in the brains of people with depression and social anxiety, according to a study from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. The researchers used MRI to assess alterations in the brain's gray matter among 37 patients with major depressive disorder, 24 patients with social anxiety disorder and 41 healthy controls. Patients with depression and anxiety, relative to healthy controls, showed gray matter abnormalities in the brain's salience and dorsal attention networks. They also showed cortical thickening in the insular cortex.

Overweight Women May Need More Frequent Mammograms (BR252-SD-WEB1)

Women with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 face an increased risk of not detecting their breast tumor until it has become large, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Researchers studied 2,012 cases of invasive breast cancer and looked for how disease progression was related to BMI and breast density. For cancers detected at screening, both BMI and breast density were associated with having a large tumor at diagnosis. However, for interval cancers, or cancers detected within two years of a normal mammogram, only BMI was linked with having a large tumor and worse prognosis. The researchers said that women with higher BMI may need shorter intervals between mammography screening exams.

Male Triathletes May Be Putting Their Heart Health at Risk (CA205-SD-SUB1)

Competitive male triathletes face a higher risk of a potentially harmful heart condition called myocardial fibrosis, or scarring of the heart, according to research conducted at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany. The condition can progress to heart failure. The researchers studied a group of triathletes, including 55 men, average age 44, and 30 women, average age 43. The study group underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI exams. Evidence of myocardial fibrosis was apparent in the left ventricle in 10 of 55 of the men, or 18 percent, but in none of the women. The athletes with myocardial fibrosis had completed significantly longer total swimming and cycling distances and had higher peak exercise systolic blood pressure.

Women Prefer Getting Mammograms Every Year (BR222-SD-MOA2)

Women prefer to get their mammograms every year, instead of every two years, according to a new study from Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. The research team surveyed 731 women (mean age 59). Women were asked whether an abnormal mammogram or breast biopsy causes emotional harm, whether screening every two years was associated with less or more anxiety and whether they preferred to have a screening mammogram every other year or every year. Of the women surveyed, 71 percent preferred getting screened every year. In 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a controversial recommendation that women at average risk be screened every two years, beginning at age 50.

Today's Press Releases

• New Studies Show Brain Impact of Youth Football (SSE19-04)
• Radiology Offers Clues in Cases of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault (RC208-06)
• Neurofeedback Shows Promise in Treating Tinnitus (SSC11-07)

Tuesday's Press Releases

• Fat Distribution in Women and Men Provides Clues to Heart Attack Risk (SSC09-08)
• Weight Loss Through Exercise Alone Does Not Protect Knees (SSJ16-03
• Migraines Linked to High Sodium Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid (SSG11-03)

Wednesday's Press Release

• Hip Steroid Injections Associated with Bone Changes (SSK13-07)
• CT Shows Enlarged Aortas in Former Pro Football Players (SSK04-08)
• Study Finds No Evidence that Gadolinium Causes Neurologic Harm (SSM16-01)
• Minimally Invasive Treatment Provides Relief from Back Pain (SSK13-01)

Thursday's Press Releases

• Emergency Radiologists See Inner Toll of Opioid Use Disorders (SSQ06-09)
• Brain's Appetite Regulator Disrupted in Obese Teens (SSQ17-02)
• Smartphone Addiction Creates Imbalance in Brain (SSQ16-01)

Friday's Press Release

• 3-D Printed Prosthetic Implants Could Improve Treatment for Hearing Loss (SST08-01)

All RSNA 2017 press releases are in the newsroom at RSNA.org/Press17, available on the day of the presentations.