Dataset of prefrontal transcranial direct-current stimulation to improve early surgical knot-tying skills
Ronak Patel,
Harsimrat Singh,
James Ashcroft,
Adam J Woods,
Ara Darzi,
Daniel R Leff
Affiliations
Ronak Patel
Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.
Harsimrat Singh
Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
James Ashcroft
Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
Adam J Woods
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
Ara Darzi
Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
Daniel R Leff
Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital Campus, 10th Floor, QEQM Building, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) has previously demonstrated promising effects in improving surgical performance with motor region stimulation [1–4]. However, extensive prior research has revealed an important role of the prefrontal cortex in surgical skill development [5,6]. This article presents the data of a double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial investigating the effect of prefrontal tDCS on knot-tying performance [7]. Data was collected from an active (n = 20) and sham (n = 20) group across three blocks: pre-, online- (during) and post-tDCS. Group and block differences of knot-tying performance were analyzed using a Generalized linear mixed model and supported with a Friedman's test. Further sub-analyses were conducted to compare high vs. low skilled individuals and initial vs. last knots. Subjective workload was assessed after each block using a SURG-TLX questionnaire and side-effects of the tDCS block were recorded using an additional survey.
