Visuospatial Ability as a Predictor of Novice Performance in Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia
U ltrasound guided regional anesthesia (USGRA) requires manual dexterity and hand eye coordination and is related to an individual's ability to mentally rotate and manipulate 2and 3 dimensional objects (visuospatial testing) The primary goal of this study was to determine whether visuospatial ability could predict technical performance of an ultrasound guided needle task by novice operators. Authors also assessed the influence of emotional state, fear of failure, and intelligence on novice skill performance of an ultrasound guided test. This was a single center, prospective, blinded observational study with a total of 60 medical student volunteers and 4 phases. Demographic data were collected in phase I. In phase II, standardized visuospatial, emotional, and numerical reasoning assessments were given. These included the mental rotation test (MRT) group embedded figures test, which measures field independence or the ability to perform a focal task independently of background distraction; and the Alice Heim group ability test, which tests general intelligence. Emotional processes were assessed using the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist and fear of failure. In phase III, participants watched an 11 minute video mapped to specific learning objectives. In phase IV, students completed the ultrasound guided needling task in a turkey breast model and were assessed. Male students exhibited better mental rotation skills comparedwith female students (P< 0.001) Only theMRTassessment