Can Neurosurgical Skills Be Enhanced with Mental Rehearsal?

Abstract

ical dexterity 66 for surgical Simulation is increasingly being touted as a me enhance skills and accelerate progress on learning significant attention has been paid to developing computer models for surgical simulation, less atte focused on a very economical form of simulation tice.Mental practice, defined as the “mental repetit the absence of actual physical movement,” has be as an effective means of improving skills in sports Positive results have been reported in the fields o skating, tennis, golf, basketball, and triathlons ( has been deemed so effective that many Olympic t letes use it systematically (4). Although mental pra shown to enhance gross and fine motor skills sign cussion about mental practice is essentially absent literature. In the February 2011 issue of the Annals o et al. (1) attempt for the first time to systematical positive effects of mentation on surgical perform domized controlled trial with step-by-step validati Twenty novice surgeons who had not previously laparoscopic surgeries were recruited. They were g ative course on the “theory of laparoscopy,” follow line assessment test of their surgical skills. Th trained to adequate proficiency using a validated laparoscopy course. Participants were then equal using the “closed envelope” technique between a m (MP) group and a control group. to safely es. While sical and has been ntal pracf a task in cognized usic (5). mnastics, entation and athhas been ntly, dise surgical ery, Arora lidate the in a ran-