Statistical Modelling and Structured Image Description for Intelligent Tutoring in MR Imaging of the Head

Abstract

A collaborative research project between the Medical Systems Research Group, De Montfort University Leicester, and the School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex, is examining the feasibility of utilising statistical-based principles and a structured image description language for tutoring about radiological image interpretation and diagnosis. This paper describes the construction of a sophisticated intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for the interpretation of magnetic resonance images in the diagnosis of cerebral disease. The outcome of the project will be a tutoring system and diagnostic aid for MR images which can be evaluated in a realistic educational setting. An evaluation of the system will show whether computer-assisted tutoring can be effective in supplementing conventional teaching, by teaching a systematic approach to image interpretation and by providing exposure to a large archive of annotated images.