Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33688951›Full record

ArticleBJS open2021

Changes in attentional resources during the acquisition of laparoscopic surgical skills.

M Thomaschewski, M Heldmann, J C Uter, D Varbelow, T F Münte, T Keck

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJS open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

M ThomaschewskiDepartment of Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
M HeldmannDepartment of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
J C UterDepartment of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
D VarbelowDepartment of Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
T F MünteDepartment of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
T KeckDepartment of Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIncreasing familiarity and practice might free up mental resources during laparoscopic surgical skills training. The aim of the study was to track changes in mental resource allocation during acquisition of laparoscopic surgical skills.

methodsMedical students with no previous experience in laparoscopic surgery took part in a 5-week laparoscopic training curriculum. At the beginning and end of the training period, one of the training tasks was combined with a secondary auditory detection task that required pressing a foot switch for defined target tones, creating a dual-task situation. During execution of the two concurrent tasks, continuous electroencephalographic measurements were made, with special attention to the P300 component, an index of mental resources. Accuracy and reaction times of the secondary task were determined.

resultsAll 14 participants successfully completed the training curriculum. Target times for successful completion of individual tasks decreased significantly during training sessions (P  <0.001 for all tasks). Comparing results before and after training showed a significant decrease in event-related brain potential amplitude at the parietal electrode cluster (P300 component, W = 67, P = 0.026), but there were no differences in accuracy (percentage correct responses: W = 48, P = 0.518) or reaction times (W = 42, P = 0.850) in the auditory detection task.

conclusionThe P300 decrease in the secondary task over training demonstrated a shift of mental resources to the primary task: the surgical exercise. This indicates that, with more practice, mental resources are freed up for additional tasks.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceEvent-Related Potentials, P300AdultAttentionCurriculumEducation, Medical, UndergraduateElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansLaparoscopyMalePractice, PsychologicalReaction TimeTask Performance and Analysis

Identifiers

PMID33688951
PMCPMC7944499

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.