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Educational neuroscience with fNIR and simulation training of surgical tasks
Conference paper

Educational neuroscience with fNIR and simulation training of surgical tasks

Patricia A. Shewokis, Faiz U. Shariff, Hasan Ayaz, Lawrence Greenawald, Mashaal Syed, Yichuan Liu, Jorge L. Uribe, Lucian Panait, Andres E. Castellanos and David S. Lind
Journal of the American College of Surgeons, v 221(4), pp e9-e9
Oct 2015

Abstract

Introduction Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIR), a noninvasive and emergent optical imaging tool, we monitored prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during the learning of simulated laparoscopic surgical tasks. A contextual interference paradigm (blocked [BLK] and random [RND] practice schedules) was used to assess behavioral performance and brain activation during the retention and transfer of simulated laparoscopic surgical tasks. Methods Third-year medical students (n=11) were randomized to either a BLK or RND practice schedule. Using a LapSim® virtual reality (VR) simulator, across three days, students performed 108 acquisition trials of 3 VR laparoscopic tasks (36 trials per task). Seventy-two hours following skill acquisition, 6 retention and 6 transfer trials (using 2 additional VR laparoscopic tasks) were performed. Linear mixed models were used to assess practice schedule and task effects across retention and transfer for the behavioral and hemodynamic oxygenation (right and left PFCs) variables. Results During retention, RND performed the VR surgical tasks in significantly less time and had lower oxygenation in the right and left PFCs than the BLK group. Conclusions Our results provide preliminary evidence of fNIR measures of anterior PFC hemodynamic response and its relationship to the performance of surgical laparoscopic tasks in a VR environment. RND practice facilitates memory by better performance and lower neural demands during retention of simulated laparoscopic surgical tasks. Using fNIR as an objective neurophysiological marker in the evaluation of skill acquisition provides important information regarding learning processes that have implications for designing instructional training programs to meet the needs of 21st century educational environments.

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Surgery
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