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Prefrontal transcranial direct-current stimulation improves early technical skills in surgery
James Ashcroft1, Ronak Patel1, Adam J Woods2
1Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London, W2 1NY, UK.
Brain Stimulation
|November 1, 2020
Summary
Prefrontal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) significantly enhanced early surgical skill acquisition in novices. This non-invasive brain stimulation technique improved performance and reduced perceived workload, offering a promising avenue for surgical training.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Medical Education
Background:
- Previous studies show modest benefits of motor cortex tDCS for surgical skills.
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for early skill acquisition and cognitive demand in surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if prefrontal tDCS can enhance early-stage surgical skill development.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study with 40 surgical novices.
- Participants performed a knot-tying task with pre-, online-, and post-stimulation blocks.
- Active tDCS (2mA, 15min) or sham tDCS was applied to the prefrontal cortex.
Main Results:
- Active tDCS significantly improved performance scores (PS) from pre- to online- and post-stimulation.
- Post-stimulation PS in the active group was significantly higher than the sham group and closer to proficiency benchmarks.
- The active group reported significant improvements in temporal demand workload.
Conclusions:
- Prefrontal tDCS significantly enhances early surgical skill acquisition.
- Further research is needed to explore neurophysiological mechanisms and long-term retention of benefits.
