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Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of spaced versus massed practice on skill acquisition and retention in the context of laparoscopic motor skill training. Background: Reaching proficiency in performing laparoscopic surgery involves extensive training to acquire the required motor skills. Conventionally, training of such skills occurs during a full day training event utilizing surgical simulators that train specific motor skills pertinent to laparoscopic surgery. An important variable to consider is the optimal schedule for laparoscopic motor training. Methods: In this study, two groups of trainees without prior experience were trained on a variety of physical box-trainer tasks on different time-schedules. One group received three 75-min training sessions on a single day (massed condition) and the other received one 75-min training session per week for three consecutive weeks (spaced condition). Short- and long-term retention were assessed 2 weeks and 1 year after the completion of training. Results: Outcome measures indicated better performance at the end of training, at a 2-week delayed retention session and at a 1-year retention session for the group that received training on a spaced schedule. This spacing effect was most pronounced for the more difficult laparoscopic training tasks such as intra-corporeal suturing. On average, 21 % of participants in the massed group and 65 % in the spaced group reached proficiency by the end of training. Conclusions: Spacing practice of laparoscopic motor skill training will facilitate skill acquisition, short-term and long-term retention, and thus, a more efficient learning process for trainees. Though more challenging in terms of logistics, training courses in medical centers should distribute practice sessions over longer time intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review covers the choices to consider in training complex procedural, perceptual and motor skills. In particular, we focus on laparoscopic surgery. An overview is provided of important training factors modulating the acquisition, durability, transfer, and efficiency of trained skills. We summarize empirical studies and their theoretical background on the topic of training complex cognitive and motor skills that are pertinent to proficiency in laparoscopic surgery. The overview pertains to surgical simulation training for laparoscopy, but also to training in other demanding procedural and dexterous tasks, such as aviation, managing complex systems and sports. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for facilitating efficiency in laparoscopic motor skill training such as session spacing, adaptive training, task variability, part-task training, mental imagery and deliberate practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]