Acute stress decreases bimanual psychomotor performance during resection of simulated brain tumors

Acute stress decreases bimanual psychomotor performance during resection of simulated brain tumors

Authors: K Bajunaid, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Jawad Fares, Marta Baggiani, Sommer Christie, Fahad Alotaibi, G Al Zharni, A Sabbagh, H Azarnoush, P Werthner, RF Delmaestro

Publication date: 2015
 
Journal: Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences
 
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
 
Description:
Background
 
Objective methods to assess the influence of significant stress on neurosurgical bimanual psychomotor performance have not been developed. We utilized NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator, to answer two questions: 1) What is the impact of significant stress on bimanual psychomotor performance during the resection of a simulated tumor? 2) Does stress influence performance immediately following the stressful episode?
Methods
 
Uncontrollable ‘intraoperative’ bleeding during one of the tumor resections resulting in simulated patient cardiac arrest served as the acute stressor. Six neurosurgeons, 6 senior and 6 junior neurosurgical residents and 6 senior medical students were studied. The evaluated advanced tier 2 metrics were efficiency index, ultrasonic aspirator path length index, suction coordination index and ultrasonic aspirator bimanual forces ratio.
Results
 
The stress scenario significantly …
 

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