Viewing images

Viewing images is at the core of numerous medical diagnostic tasks, and one can consider it from two perspectives (at least). On the one hand is the technology used to display the images and how factors such as luminance and display noise affect the quality of the image and hence the perception and interpretation of features in that image. On the other hand, there is the human observer relying on their perceptual and cognitive systems to process the information presented to them. This aspect of viewing images is less well understood. From a purely visual perspective, we understand the physiology and basic functioning of the human visual system. What we understand to a lesser degree is how that information gets processed by the higher functioning parts of the brain. How does the radiologist process a set of features in an X-ray image and