Past experience playing video games...

Past experience playing video games, as wee as circulating video game skill, may translate into increased dexterity and proficiency at laparoscopic surgery according to a January 14 2004 just discovereds release from the National Institute in succession Media and the Family. Researchers from Beth Israel Hospital, novel York, theorize that video game playing may lay open neural pathways that Later are available for use in different arenas, including laparoscopic surgery

Thirty-three participants, including 12 physicians and 21 medical train residents, participated in a inquiry designed around a laparoscopic skills and suturing teaching program. In addition to participating in the program, controls completed three video game tasks that proofed fine motor skills, reaction time, eye-hand coordination, targeting, nondominant hand emphasis, and two-dimensional central part perception compensation--skills similar to those required to prosperously advance in laparoscopy. Participants then were viewed to assess past experience with video games, as well as common level of play, level of laparoscopic training, number of laparoscopic cases performed, and number of years in medical practice.

Researchers raise that

* participants who formerly played video games for more than three hours by week had a 37% reduction in errors when performing laparoscopic surgery and accomplished their surgical task 27% more quickly than their non video-game-playing counterparts;

* participants who had played video games experienced a 28% reduction in errors when suturing and accomplished their suturing 24% more quickly;

* circulating video game players scored 40% better overall in the teaching program; and

* present video game skill and past video game experience were significantly more indicative of laparoscopic surgical proficiency than years of training or number of laparoscopic cases performed previously.

Video Game Experience and Skill pious Indicator of Laparoscopic Surgical Proficiency (new release, novel York: National Institute on Media and the Family, Jan 14 2004) http://www.mediafamiLy.org/press/20040114 shtml (accessed 22 April 2004)

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