Studying Brain Activation during Skill Acquisition via Robot-Assisted Surgery Training

Abstract

Robot-assisted surgery systems are a recent breakthrough in minimally invasive surgeries, offering numerous benefits to both patients and surgeons including, but not limited to, greater visualization of the operation site, greater precision during operation and shorter hospitalization times. Training on robot-assisted surgery (RAS) systems begins with the use of high-fidelity simulators. Hence, the increasing demand of employing RAS systems has led to a rise in using RAS simulators to train medical doctors. The aim of this study was to investigate the brain activity changes elicited during the skill acquisition of resident surgeons by measuring hemodynamic changes from the prefrontal cortex area via a neuroimaging sensor, namely, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty-four participants, who are resident medical doctors affiliated with different surgery departments, underwent an RAS simulator training during this study and completed the sponge suturing tasks at three different difficulty levels in two consecutive sessions/blocks. The results reveal that cortical oxygenation changes in the prefrontal cortex were significantly lower during the second training session (Block 2) compared to the initial training session (Block 1) (p < 0.05).

Individual differences in skill acquisition and transfer assessed by dual task training performance and brain activity

“…Without accounting for individual characteristics, our results from skill acquisition phase indicated significant decreases in mental effort within LDLPFC and RAMPFC (see Additional file 1 : Table S1). These results support neural plasticity and practice theory, which states that practice is effective in decreasing brain activity intensity within attentional and control areas [ 22 , 30 , 33 , 52 , 59 , 63 ]. Secondly, our results from transfer phase showed significant increases within LAMPFC and RAMPFC.…”

“…Over the last decade, fNIRS has been used extensively to assess workload, quantify mental capacity, and track training in both laboratory and field settings [ 22 , 26 – 33 ]. Majority of these studies have focused on quantifying changes in brain activity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is responsible for executive functions, such as working memory, attention, problem solving, decision making, response inhibition, planning, conflict resolution, and mental flexibility [ 34 ].…”

Incorporating Competency-Based Training into Traditional Training for improving Skill Acquisition and Self-Employability

“…Skills have different performance levels in comparison to those who acquire skills and practices those skills in a way that they want to make those skills their identity (Izzetoglu et al, 2021). This statement proves the proverb that ''Practice makes a man perfect''.…”

“…Although it had become now costly (Jain et al, 2021), but its effectiveness and the amount of efficiency among students it is providing is of no comparison. Skills are the most important aspect of an individual's life, and they are used in the academic as well as workplace settings effectively and efficiently by individuals to make their life easier (Izzetoglu et al, 2021). According to some researchers, that contradicts that the individuals having skills have different performance levels in comparison to those who acquire skills and practices those skills (Shu et al, 2018) in a way that they want to make those skills their identity.…”

Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery—Surgical Robotics in the Data Age

“…Nontechnical skill assessment has been recognized as an important contributing factor to patient outcome, yet greatly understudied [87]. At a basic level, simple stress measurements can be introduced via skin dryness sensing, pupillometry, or eye tracking [88], [89], while more complex brain activation sensing systems, such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), may be able to provide similar adaptation to cognitive processes or to allow the console to detect stress and risk and may monitor surgical skill development [90].…”