Neurosurgical Skill Enhancement Using Transcranial Stimulation

Recent changes in medical training environments and restrictive work-hour regulations have greatly impacted trainees, limiting the number of opportunities to gain proficiency in procedural skills. Reports suggest that medical residents lack confidence in their ability to perform certain medical procedures, and program directors often do not believe their residents can operate independently in major procedures. Simulator based task training (SBTT) has provided a safe and ethically appropriate method of skill acquisition but training opportunities remain limited. Methods to enhance motor learning during these training opportunities have not been described. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging form of non-invasive brain stimulation that has been shown to improve motor learning. tDCS has been shown to enhance increasingly complex skill acquisition. The investigators propose to examine if tDCS can improve the acquisition and retention of neurosurgical skill. The investigators propose a double blind, sham-controlled randomized trial applying tDCS during evidence-based SBTT of medical students, to determine if brain stimulation can enhance training skill acquisition and retention. Even a modest enhancement carries the potential to transform medicosurgical skills training.