American scientists from Johns Hopkins University have developed a method that improves the training of novice surgeons using virtual reality (VR) simulators. Technology has allowed young doctors to apply the skills they have acquired more quickly in real life. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Natural Science Review (NSR).
Surgeons are improving their skills such as fast and precise suturing with the help of VR programs. However, virtual experience differs from competencies gained in the real world.
The research team used noninvasive, continuous electrical stimulation of the cerebellum in the brain because this region plays a critical role in trial-and-error learning. This type of stimulation depolarizes neurons and releases neurotransmitters that allow neurons to communicate with each other.
36 men and women with an average age of 27 participated in the experiment. Of these, 12 had medical training but none had experience in robotic surgery or related fields.
Each participant was asked to perform a complex surgical task by passing a curved needle through three rings of two millimeters in radius, spaced at 45-degree increments in the vertical plane. The exercise had to be repeated twice, in a VR simulator and in a real environment using the da Vinci medical robot.
During the training, some participants received electrical stimulation in the cerebellum. The results showed that applying electrical stimulation to the brain significantly improved the transfer of skills from the virtual environment to the real environment, even in situations where the task needed to be completed quickly. No such effect was found in the control group where stimulation was not used.
According to the researchers, this approach could help accelerate learning not only in surgery but also in other industries.
Previously expert named Timing of the introduction of VR systems into school curricula.