Evaluation of Patient Stress During Mammograms through Surface Electromyography Analysis

Abstract

Regular mammograms are recommended for women to allow for early detection of breast cancer and in turn, proper treatment and improved prognosis of patients. However, the stress and discomfort associated with the procedure deter many women from routine screening. Most previous work attempting to characterize this pain utilizes subjective, questionnaire-based methods. The variability in methodology and subjectivity of these approaches requires a more objective strategy to fully understand mammogram related stress. Bio signals such as surface electromyography (sEMG) have been increasing in popularity as a means of quantifying various physiological states including stress and pain. This research presents the use of sEMG as a means of measuring the stress and discomfort experienced by biological females during a mammogram. N=25 healthy subjects were recruited to participate in a simulated procedure consisting of two different variations in machine design (compression paddle shape). Wearable sEMG sensors were placed on 14 different muscles and a multi-metric analysis was conducted to observe muscle activation and estimated stress between a relaxed state and the compressions of the procedure. Significantly activated muscles during the painful mammogram include the deltoid, infraspinatus, teres major, and trapezius upper fibers shown by the most responsive metrics derived. The illustration of intense activation of these muscles during the procedure along with the proposed bio signal analysis methodology can aid in advancing ongoing research and clinical efforts to make mammograms more comfortable and less stressful for patients by providing a more comprehensive understanding of the stress experienced.