Factors influencing sensorimotor learning and expertise in minimally invasive surgery

Minimally invasive surgery is revolutionising surgical medicine largely due to patient benefits including shorter recovery times and reduced scarring. Yet it is more difficult for surgeons to learn compared to conventional open procedures. One source of difficulty is that visual feedback about instrument position and motion is provided via an endoscopic camera whose orientation can vary relative to the surgeon’s point of view. This makes the job of transforming visual information into motor commands extremely challenging for the brain. This project seeks to leverage behavioural methods and principles from motor neuroscience to decipher the factors underlying this steep learning curve, with the goal of making scientifically informed improvements in surgical training and ultimately patient outcomes. This project will also provide a unique characterization of human sensorimotor learning in highly complex task environments.