Changes in attentional resources during the acquisition of laparoscopic surgical skills

Abstract Background Increasing familiarity and practice might free up mental resources during laparoscopic surgical skills training. The aim of the study was to track changes in mental resource allocation during acquisition of laparoscopic surgical skills. Methods Medical students with no previous experience in laparoscopic surgery took part in a 5-week laparoscopic training curriculum. At the beginning and end of the training period, one of the training tasks was combined with a secondary auditory detection task that required pressing a foot switch for defined target tones, creating a dual-task situation. During execution of the two concurrent tasks, continuous electroencephalographic measurements were made, with special attention to the P300 component, an index of mental resources. Accuracy and reaction times of the secondary task were determined. Results All 14 participants successfully completed the training curriculum. Target times for successful completion of individual tasks decreased significantly during training sessions (P