Optimizing microsurgical skills with EEG neurofeedback

Background By enabling individuals to self-regulate their brainwave activity in the field of optimal performance in healthy individuals, neurofeedback has been found to improve cognitive and artistic performance. Here we assessed whether two distinct EEG neurofeedback protocols could develop surgical skill, given the important role this skill plays in medicine. Results National Health Service trainee ophthalmic microsurgeons (N = 20) were randomly assigned to either Sensory Motor Rhythm-Theta (SMR) or Alpha-Theta (AT) groups, a randomized subset of which were also part of a wait-list 'no-treatment' control group (N = 8). Neurofeedback groups received eight 30-minute sessions of EEG training. Pre-post assessment included a skills lab surgical procedure with timed measures and expert ratings from video-recordings by consultant surgeons, together with state/trait anxiety self-reports. SMR training demonstrated advantages absent in the control group, with improvements in surgical skill according to 1) the expert ratings: overall technique (d = 0.6, p < 0.03) and suture task (d = 0.9, p < 0.02) (judges' intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.85); and 2) with overall time on task (d = 0.5, p = 0.02), while everyday anxiety (trait) decreased (d = 0.5, p < 0.02). Importantly the decrease in surgical task time was strongly associated with SMR EEG training changes (p < 0.01), especially with continued reduction of theta (4–7 Hz) power. AT training produced marginal improvements in technique and overall performance time, which were accompanied by a standard error indicative of large individual differences. Notwithstanding, successful within session elevation of the theta-alpha ratio correlated positively with improvements in overall technique (r = 0.64, p = 0.047). Conclusion SMR-Theta neurofeedback training provided significant improvement in surgical technique whilst considerably reducing time on task by 26%. There was also evidence that AT training marginally reduced total surgery time, despite suboptimal training efficacies. Overall, the data set provides encouraging evidence of optimised learning of a complex medical specialty via neurofeedback training

Desperdício de exames complementares na avaliação pré-operatória em cirurgias de catarata Waste of medical tests in preoperative evaluation for cataract surgery

O objetivo deste experimento clínico foi determinar a freqüência dos exames considerados dispensáveis numa rotina pré-operatória de facectomias e avaliar os gastos com eles. Se o paciente foi sorteado para testes-seletivos, solicitou-se que nenhum teste fosse executado, a menos que o paciente apresentasse um novo problema médico, ou piora de uma doença preexistente, a qual requeresse os testes independentemente da realização da cirurgia. Para pacientes sorteados para testes-rotineiros, foram solicitados: eletrocardiograma, dosagem de hemoglobina e glicemia de jejum. Foram calculados os gastos com exames considerados desnecessários. A amostra de 1.025 pacientes incluiu 513 sorteados para testes seletivos e 512 para testes rotineiros. A freqüência de eventos adversos intra-operatórios foi semelhante nos dois grupos (p = 0,923). O grupo de testes seletivos realizou de 60,7% menos exames que o de testes rotineiros. Os resultados sugerem que a requisição seletiva de exames pré-operatórios em facectomias, além de não prejudicar o paciente do ponto de vista de complicações clínicas intra-operatórias, possibilita expressiva economia de recursos quando comparada à atual rotina.<br>The objective of this clinical trial was to determine the frequency of medical tests considered unnecessary in routine preoperative evaluation for cataract surgery. Unnecessary costs with these tests were also evaluated. For patients assigned to the selective testing group, it was requested that no preoperative testing be performed unless the patient presented a new or worsening medical problem warranting medical evaluation with testing. For patients assigned to the routine testing group, three tests were requested: a 12-lead electrocardiogram, complete blood count, and serum glucose level. The costs of tests considered unnecessary were calculated. The sample of 1,025 patients consisted of 512 assigned to the routine testing group and 513 to the selective testing group. Cumulative rate of medical events was similar in the two groups (p = 0.923). The selective group underwent 60.7% fewer tests. The results suggest that selective preoperative testing in cataract surgery does not harm patients in terms of peri-operative clinical complications and also represents a significant cost reduction compared to routine testing