Abstract
ObjectiveMental imagery (MI) has long been used in learning in both fields of sports and arts. However, it is restrictively applied in surgical training according to the medical literature. Few studies have evaluated its’ feasibility and usefulness. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of mental imagery on surgical skills learning among novice’s surgeons.Material and methodsIn this pilot prospective randomized comparative study; we recruited 17 residents and interns of surgery education curriculum. They were all included in their first semester of the curricula. Two groups were randomly designed. Group (a) including “Mental Imagery” volunteers (n = 9) which benefited from a mental imagery rehearsal exercise prior to physical practice, while the control group (b) (n = 8) didn’t underwent any MI process prior to surgery practice. Each participant of both groups was invited to perform an intestinal hand-sewn anastomosis on bovine intestine. Each procedure was evaluated and analyzed according to 14 qualitative criteria while each criterion was scored 0, 1 or 2 respectively assigned to the gesture was not acquired, gesture was performed with effort, or mastered gesture. The final score is 28 for those who master all 14 gestures. A non-parametric statistical comparison between the both studied groups was performed.ResultsBoth groups of surgery students demonstrated equivalent age, sex ratio, laterality, and surgical experience. The mean overall score is significantly higher in the MI group (a) (17.78; SD = 2.42) compared to the control group (b) (10.63, SD = 2.85). However, advanced analysis of individual assessment items showed significant statistical difference between both groups only in 6 out of 14 assessed items.ConclusionIndeed, mental imagery will not be able to substitute the traditional learning of surgery for novice surgeons; it is an important approach for improving the technical skills acquisition and shortening the physical learning.
Highlights
Mental imagery (MI) is defined as “the cognitive rehearsal of a given task in the absence of manifest physical movement” [1]
Group (a) including “Mental Imagery” volunteers (n = 9) which benefited from a mental imagery rehearsal exercise prior to physical practice, while the control group (b) (n = 8) didn’t underwent any MI process prior to surgery practice
The mean overall score is significantly higher in the MI group (a) (17.78; SD = 2.42) compared to the control group (b) (10.63, SD = 2.85)
Summary
Mental imagery (MI) is defined as “the cognitive rehearsal of a given task in the absence of manifest physical movement” [1]. It is a technique allowing to mentally present a given gesture or action without any real execution [2]. This human brain capability is applied in gestural education. This category of mental exercise has been shown to improve performance in the acquisition of Souiki et al BMC Med Educ (2021) 21:545 technical skills. It is well-recognized and validated as educational tool in several fields such as sports, music and aviation [3,4,5]. Despite promising potential of MI, the validity of the method remains understudied and not sufficiently reported in medical literature
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