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Abstract Introduction/aim Radiological imaging is crucial in modern clinical practice and requires thorough and early training. An understanding of cross-sectional imaging is essential for effective interpretation of such imaging. This study examines the extent to which completing an undergraduate ultrasound course has positive effects on the development of visual-spatial ability, knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships, understanding of radiological cross-sectional images, and theoretical ultrasound competencies. Material and methods This prospective observational study was conducted at a medical school with 3rd year medical students as part of a voluntary extracurricular ultrasound course. The participants completed evaluations (7-level Likert response formats and dichotomous questions “yes/no”) and theoretical tests at two time points (T1 = pre course; T2 = post course) to measure their subjective and objective cross-sectional imaging skills competencies. A questionnaire on baseline values and previous experience identified potential influencing factors. Results A total of 141 participants were included in the study. Most participants had no previous general knowledge of ultrasound diagnostics (83%), had not yet performed a practical ultrasound examination (87%), and had not attended any courses on sonography (95%). Significant subjective and objective improvements in competencies were observed after the course, particularly in the subjective sub-area of “knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships” (p = 0.009). Similarly, participants showed improvements in the objective sub-areas of “theoretical ultrasound competencies” (p

Introduction/aim: Radiological imaging is crucial in modern clinical practice and requires thorough and early training. An understanding of cross-sectional imaging is essential for effective interpretation of such imaging. This study examines the extent to which completing an undergraduate ultrasound course has positive effects on the development of visual-spatial ability, knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships, understanding of radiological cross-sectional images, and theoretical ultrasound competencies. Material and methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at a medical school with 3rd year medical students as part of a voluntary extracurricular ultrasound course. The participants completed evaluations (7-level Likert response formats and dichotomous questions "yes/no") and theoretical tests at two time points (T1 = pre course; T2 = post course) to measure their subjective and objective cross-sectional imaging skills competencies. A questionnaire on baseline values and previous experience identified potential influencing factors. Results: A total of 141 participants were included in the study. Most participants had no previous general knowledge of ultrasound diagnostics (83%), had not yet performed a practical ultrasound examination (87%), and had not attended any courses on sonography (95%). Significant subjective and objective improvements in competencies were observed after the course, particularly in the subjective sub-area of "knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships" (p = 0.009). Similarly, participants showed improvements in the objective sub-areas of "theoretical ultrasound competencies" (p < 0.001), "radiological cross-section understanding and knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships in the abdomen" (p < 0.001), "visual-spatial ability in radiological cross-section images" (p < 0.001), and "visual-spatial ability" (p = 0.020). Conclusion: Ultrasound training courses can enhance the development of visual-spatial ability, knowledge of anatomical spatial relationships, radiological cross-sectional image understanding, and theoretical ultrasound competencies. Due to the reciprocal positive effects of the training, students should receive radiology training at an early stage of their studies to benefit as early as possible from the improved skills, particularly in the disciplines of anatomy and radiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual 3D models can be an animal-free alternative to cadaveric dissection to learn spatial anatomy. The aim of this study was to investigate if the learning outcome differs when studying 3D models with a 360° rotatable interactive monoscopic 3-dimensional (iM3D) or an interactive monoscopic 2-dimensional (iM2D) visualization, and whether the level of visual-spatial ability (VSA) influences learning outcome. A two-center randomized crossover trial was conducted during the Laboratory Animals Science Course (March 2021–March 2022). Participants studied a 3D rat model using iM3D and iM2D. VSA was assessed by a 24-item mental rotation test and learning outcome by two knowledge tests. Data from 69 out of 111 recruited participants were analyzed using linear regression. Participants with low VSA performed significantly worse compared to participants with medium or high VSA when using iM3D, but equally well when using iM2D. When VSA level was disregarded, participants performed equally well with both visualizations. Rotation in iM3D requires the student to construct a mental 3D image from multiple views. This presumably increases cognitive load, especially for students with low VSA who might become cognitively overloaded. Future research could focus on adapting the visualization technique to students' personal needs and abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual 3D models can be an animal-free alternative to cadaveric dissection to learn spatial anatomy. The aim of this study was to investigate if the learning outcome differs when studying 3D models with a 360° rotatable interactive monoscopic 3-dimensional (iM3D) or an interactive monoscopic 2-dimensional (iM2D) visualization, and whether the level of visual-spatial ability (VSA) influences learning outcome. A two-center randomized crossover trial was conducted during the Laboratory Animals Science Course (March 2021–March 2022). Participants studied a 3D rat model using iM3D and iM2D. VSA was assessed by a 24-item mental rotation test and learning outcome by two knowledge tests. Data from 69 out of 111 recruited participants were analyzed using linear regression. Participants with low VSA performed significantly worse compared to participants with medium or high VSA when using iM3D, but equally well when using iM2D. When VSA level was disregarded, participants performed equally well with both visualizations. Rotation in iM3D requires the student to construct a mental 3D image from multiple views. This presumably increases cognitive load, especially for students with low VSA who might become cognitively overloaded. Future research could focus on adapting the visualization technique to students’ personal needs and abilities.

Background: Medical education integrates skills training and simulation to prepare students for clinical tasks. A seminar on interventional radiology was restructured to include specific practical training utilizing a 3D-catheter model. We aimed to investigate the complex interplay between student evaluations, their visual-spatial ability and practical performance., Methods: The seminar comprised a short plenary introduction followed by 3 practical training units. Students were tested for their visual-spatial ability and their catheter insertion performance. Students rated the seminar and their interest in the subject. Data were subjected to descriptive, factorial, regression, and moderating analysis., Results: A total of 141 medical students enrolled in the seminar. They attributed a high didactic and practical quality and expressed great interest in the subject. Male students outperformed females in the cube perspective test. In the practical examination, males needed significantly less time on average (57.9 s) compared to females (73.1 s). However, there were no significant differences in the performance score, with a maximum of 5 attainable points: males 4.61 and females 4.51. The seminar evaluation explained a large portion of the variance (48.6%) in students' interest in the subject. There was a moderating role of practical quality (β = 0.12, P  < .05) on the link between the cube perspective test and the practical examination: rated high practical quality could partly compensate for low cube perspective scores, enhancing performance in the practical examination., Conclusions: Well-designed practical courses and a perceived high teaching quality may assist students with deficits in visual-spatial ability to acquire clinical-practical skills. Such initiatives not only enhance learning outcomes across diverse student groups but also stimulate interest in specialized fields like interventional radiology, thereby potentially guiding future career paths in medicine., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

An enduring challenge in visual-spatial research has been to identify the factors contributing to individual differences in ability. This research investigated the overall, verbal, and nonverbal visual-spatial ability of 61 (34 boys) three- to five-year-olds (Mage = 57.3 months; SD = 7.9) and the following factors known to be related to visual-spatial ability: grade, sex, socio-economic status, math and spatial activity engagement at home, parental mental rotation, quantitative reasoning, intelligence, and working memory. Results revealed quantitative reasoning and general intelligence were an important predictor of overall and nonverbal visual-spatial ability. Mathematics activities in the home predicted children's verbal visual-spatial ability but not after accounting for various cognitive factors. Given the highly malleable nature of visual-spatial ability, we anticipated a grade effect; however, this was not found. Older children did not outperform the younger children suggesting a possible 'kindergarten in-effect' whereby schooling did not result in visual-spatial learning over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate how visual–spatial ability predicted academic achievement through arithmetic and reading abilities. Four hundred and ninety-nine Chinese children aged from 10.1 to 11.2 years were recruited and measured visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities. Their mathematical and Chinese language academic achievements were collected for two consecutive school years, respectively, during the same year as cognitive tests and 1 year after the cognitive tests. Correlation analysis indicated that visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities and academic achievements were significantly correlated with each other. The structural equation modelling analyses showed that there were two paths from visual–spatial ability to academic achievement: a major path mediated by arithmetic ability and a minor serial mediation path from visual–spatial ability to arithmetic ability to reading ability, then to academic achievement. Results shed light on the importance of visual–spatial ability in education.

This study aimed to investigate how visual–spatial ability predicted academic achievement through arithmetic and reading abilities. Four hundred and ninety-nine Chinese children aged from 10.1 to 11.2 years were recruited and measured visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities. Their mathematical and Chinese language academic achievements were collected for two consecutive school years, respectively, during the same year as cognitive tests and 1 year after the cognitive tests. Correlation analysis indicated that visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities and academic achievements were significantly correlated with each other. The structural equation modelling analyses showed that there were two paths from visual–spatial ability to academic achievement: a major path mediated by arithmetic ability and a minor serial mediation path from visual–spatial ability to arithmetic ability to reading ability, then to academic achievement. Results shed light on the importance of visual–spatial ability in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a laboratory experiment in which 157 secondary-school students learned the concept of function with either static representations or dynamic visualizations. We used two different versions of dynamic visualization in order to evaluate whether interactivity had an impact on learning outcome. In the group learning with a linear dynamic visualization, the students could only start an animation and run it from the beginning to the end. In the group using an interactive dynamic visualization, the students controlled the flow of the dynamic visualization with their mouse. This resulted in students learning significantly better with dynamic visualizations than with static representations. However, there was no significant difference in learning with linear or interactive dynamic visualizations. Nor did we observe an aptitude–treatment interaction between visual-spatial ability and learning with either dynamic visualizations or static representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SNARC effect is a phenomenon in which the left hand reacts quickly to small numbers, and the right hand reacts quickly to large numbers. In this study, the symbolic and non-symbolic SNARC effects between 9-year-old children and adults were compared, and the cognitive mechanisms underlying these effects were examined in both groups. The findings indicate that children and adults exhibit significant symbolic and non-symbolic SNARC effects, with children having a stronger non-symbolic SNARC effect than adults. According to path analyses, visual perception and phonological awareness played important roles in children's symbolic SNARC effect, whereas inhibitory control played an important role in adults' symbolic SNARC effect. Three-dimensional mental rotation and phonological memory accounted for significant variance in the non-symbolic SNARC effect in children and adults. Working memory did not significantly contribute to symbolic or non-symbolic SNARC effects in children and adults. In sum, our findings would not only help understand the theoretical relationships among various cognitive skills and SNARC effects but also help to develop age-appropriate intervention programs related to the nature of spatial-numerical associations. ● We studied symbolic and non-symbolic SNARC effects in children and adults. ● Visual perception and phonological awareness play crucial roles in children's symbolic SNARC effect. ● Inhibitory control plays an important role in adults' symbolic SNARC effect. ● Mental rotation and short-term memory significantly predict the non-symbolic SNARC effect in both age groups. ● Working memory does not explain the strength difference between symbolic and non-symbolic SNARC effects in both age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periodic circadian protein homolog 2 (PER2) has a role in the intracellular signaling pathways of long-term potentiation and has implications for synaptic plasticity. We aimed to assess the association of PER2 C111G polymorphism with cognitive functions in subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Methods: Forty-five SCD patients were included in this study. All participants underwent extensive neuropsychological investigation, analysis of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and PER2 genotypes, and neuropsychological follow-up every 12 or 24 months for a mean time of 9.87 ± 4.38 years. Results: Nine out of 45 patients (20%) were heterozygous carriers of the PER2 C111G polymorphism (G carriers), while 36 patients (80%) were not carriers of the G allele (G non-carriers). At baseline, G carriers had a higher language composite score compared to G non-carriers. During follow-up, 15 (34.88%) patients progressed to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this group, we found a significant interaction between PER2 G allele and follow-up time, as carriers of G allele showed greater worsening of executive function, visual-spatial ability, and language composite scores compared to G non-carriers. Conclusions: PER2 C111G polymorphism is associated with better language performance in SCD patients. Nevertheless, as patients progress to MCI, G allele carriers showed a greater worsening in cognitive performance compared to G non-carriers. The effect of PER2 C111G polymorphism depends on the global cognitive status of patients.

Precocious realists are children who are able to create realistic drawings that resemble those of adult artists. Is this talent a splinter skill, or is it associated with other kinds of high ability? We administered IQ and visual-spatial tasks to 12 precocious realists and compared their performance to a control group of children matched on age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) and asked their parents to complete questionnaires assessing their children’s personality traits. Precocious realism proved unrelated to either superior verbal or nonverbal IQs and proved related only to two of the five visual-spatial tasks we administered. Precocious realists scored higher on the trait of openness to experience and their parents described them as having extreme rage to master. Contrary to some previous claims, they did not show any elevated autistic-like traits. We conclude by making education recommendations for artistically gifted children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study was to investigate the influence of an established school programme with a high amount of physical education on visual-spatial ability in a secondary school. One hundred and forty-four adolescents, 69 from sport classes and 75 from regular classes, solved a cognitive processing speed task and a mental rotation task. The results reflect a better cognitive processing speed of the boys in the sports classes compared to regular classes but no differences for girls. Concerning the mental rotation performance, we found a significantly better mental rotation performance for boys and girls in the sports classes compared to regular classes due to an increased number of items worked on. Supposedly, motor expertise facilitates mental rotation performance by promoting a faster editing of the task. The benefits of sport classes in normal high school settings have to be investigated in further studies considering the effect on academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have examined possible loci of deaf learners’ documented challenges with regard to reading, usually focusing on language-related factors. Deaf students also frequently struggle in mathematics and science, but fewer studies have examined possible reasons for those difficulties. The present study examined numerical and non-numerical (real-world) estimation skills among deaf and hearing college students, together with several cognitive abilities likely to underlie mathematics performance. Drawing on claims in the literature and some limited evidence from research involving deaf children, the study also considered the possibility that the use of sign language and/or the use of cochlear implants and spoken language might facilitate deaf college students’ estimation skills and mathematics achievement more broadly. Results indicated relatively little impact of cochlear implant use or language modality on either estimation skills or overall mathematics ability. Predictors of those abilities differed for deaf and hearing learners. Results suggest the need to guard against overgeneralizations either within the diverse population of deaf learners or between deaf and hearing learners. They further emphasize the need for evidence-based practice in mathematics instruction appropriate for older deaf learners, rather than making assumptions from studies involving younger or narrowly-selected samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technical limitations of minimally invasive surgery challenge both surgeons and camera assistants. Current research indicates that visual-spatial ability (VSA) has impact on learning of laparoscopic camera navigation (LCN). However, it remains unclear if complexity of LCN tasks influences the impact of VSA. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of VSA on LCN training within tasks of different complexity levels.Methods: The present study was conducted as a monocentric prospective trial. VSA was assessed with a cube comparison test before participants underwent LCN training. LCN training consisted of three tasks with increasing complexity. Each task was performed four times and performance was assessed each time. Correlations and multivariate regression analysis were used to assess the influence of VSA on LCN skills.Results: Seventy-one participants were included (35 males). Significant performance improvement and faster completion times were observed from the first to fourth trial of all three LCN training tasks. Significant positive correlations between VSA and performance on LCN task 3 were found (performance: r s = 0.47; p < 0.001, time: r s = -0.43; p < 0.001). Multivariate regression revealed that higher VSA resulted in greater reduction of time between the first trials of LCN training task 3 (B = -1.67, p = 0.031).Conclusion: In the present study, all trainees improved LCN performance during the training. VSA seems to have impact on LCN performance and training progress particularly for complex LCN tasks. The relation of VSA and LCN performance was stronger for less experienced participants and in the beginning of the learning phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este artigo analisa as propriedades psicométricas de um conjunto de testes elaborados para mensurar a habilidade visuo espacial (Gv), quanto a sua estrutura fatorial, unidimensionalidade, validade convergente e discriminante. Fizeram parte da pesquisa 558 participantes que cursavam ou concluíram o ensino médio. Utilizou-se o Teste de Visualização (Vz), Teste de Flexibilidade de Fechamento (CF), Teste de Memória Visual (MV), Teste de Fluência Figural (FF), Teste de Fluência Ideacional 1 (FI1) e Teste de Fluência Ideacional 2 (FI2). Foram usados procedimentos de análise fatorial exploratória, análise fatorial confirmatória e o ajuste ao modelo Rasch. Os índices de ajuste dos modelos aos dados estão adequados às recomendações da literatura. Os testes possuem uma estrutura fatorial de dois níveis, porém unidimensional. Convergem para mensurar a habilidade visuo espacial (Gv) e divergem na mensuração da fluência, utilizada neste estudo como habilidade contrastante.This article analyses the psychometrical properties of a test kit developed to measure visual-spatial ability in terms of its factorial structure, unidimensionality, convergent validity and divergent validity. A sample of 558 students that were either attending High School or had just concluded it participated of this research. The Visualization Test (Vz), Flexibility of Closure Test (CF), Visual Memory Test (MV), Figural Fluency Test (FF), Ideational Fluency Test 1 (FI1) and Ideational Fluency Test 2 (FI2) were used. The data analysis used the exploratory factorial analysis, the confirmatory factorial analysis and the fit to the Rasch model procedures. The model fit indexes are in accordance with the cutoff values suggested by the literature. The tests showed a two-level factorial structure, although it can be taken as an unidimensional structure. The tests converge to measure the visual-spatial ability and diverge to measure the fluency ability which was used in this study as contrast ability.

Objectives: To investigate whether surgical simulation performance and previous video gaming experience would correlate with higher motivation to further train a specific simulator task and whether visual-spatial ability would rank higher in importance to surgical performance than the above. It was also examined whether or not motivation would correlate with a preference to choose a surgical specialty in the future and if simulator training would increase the interest in choosing that same work field. Methods: Motivation and general interest in surgery was measured pre- and post-training in 30 medical students at Karolinska Institutet who were tested in a laparoscopic surgical simulator in parallel with measurement of visualspatial ability and self-estimated video gaming experience. Correlations between simulator performance metrics, visual-spatial ability and motivation were statistically analyzed using regression analysis. Results: A good result in the first simulator trial correlated with higher self-determination index (r =-0.46, p=0.05) in male students. Visual-spatial ability was the most important underlying factor followed by intrinsic motivation score and finally video gaming experience (p=0.02, p=0.05, p=0.11) regarding simulator performance in male students. Simulator training increased interest in surgery when studying all subjects (p=0.01), male subjects (p=0.02) as well as subjects with low video gaming experience (p=0.02). Conclusions: This preliminary study highlights individual differences regarding the effect of simulator training on motivation that can be taken into account when designing simulator training curricula, although the sample size is quite small and findings should be interpreted carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual–spatial ability is a multifaceted component of intelligence that has predictive validity for future achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations. Although identification and development of STEM talent is a national priority, visual–spatial ability is rarely measured and relatively neglected in gifted education. Quantitative and verbal reasoning abilities are favored over nonverbal abilities in talent searches and gifted programs, which causes some high-spatial, gifted students to be overlooked. Creative production in STEM requires visual–spatial ability, and this ability must be developed in gifted education. Theories of intelligence and testing have advanced to provide methods for identification of specific cognitive abilities, such as visual–spatial ability. However, for these students to be successful in gifted programs, gifted-education services must be modified to accommodate gifted spatial learners and develop spatial talents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In the general population visual-spatial ability is better in males, due to the influence of biological and socio-cultural factors. We know that sport activity improves motor skills. The aim of this work is to determine if these gender differences exist in young athletes. The orientation test described by Terzi and standardized by Cesaroni, used to measure spatial ability, was carried out on 60 volleyball or 60 tennis athletes as well as on 60 non-sporting subjects. Results The data analysis revealed a worse performance for non-athletes in comparison with athletes in both components of test (p < 0.0001; p = 0.04), with no differences between the volleyball and tennis groups. As far as gender comparison is concerned, as expected in the non- sport group the males presented better values (p < 0.001; p = 0.006). However in both sports groups there weren't any gender differences in either part of the test (p = 0.18; p = 0.056). Conclusions These results confirm that during athletic preparation in volleyball and tennis the specific training is able to develop spatial ability. Besides, boys and girls have similar performance demands and training experience. It appears that this specific training could be responsible for modifying gender differences in performance of spatial ability during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localization of tactile stimuli to the hand and digits is fundamental to somatosensory perception. However, little is known about the development or genetic bases of this ability in humans. We examined tactile localization in normally developing children, adolescents, and adults and in people with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder resulting in a wide range of severe visual-spatial deficits. Normally developing 4-year-olds made large stimulus-localization errors, sometimes across digits, but nevertheless their errors revealed a structured internal representation of the hand. In normally developing individuals, errors became exponentially smaller over age, reaching the adult level by adolescence. In contrast, people with WS showed large localization errors regardless of age and a significant proportion of cross-digit errors, a profile similar to that of normally developing 4-year-olds. Thus, tactile localization reflects internal organization of the hand even early in normal development, undergoes substantial development in normal children, and is susceptible to developmental, but not organizational, impairment under genetic deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Purpose: Integrating interactive three-dimensional post-processing software into undergraduate radiology teaching might be a promising approach to synergistically improve both visual-spatial ability and radiological skills, thereby reducing students’ deficiencies in image interpretation. The purpose of this study was to test our hypothesis that a hands-on radiology course for medical students using interactive three-dimensional image post-processing software improves radiological knowledge, diagnostic skills and visual-spatial ability. Materials and methods: A hands-on radiology course was developed using interactive three-dimensional image post-processing software. The course consisted of seven seminars held on a weekly basis. The 25 participating fourth- and fifth-year medical students learnt to systematically analyse cross-sectional imaging data and correlated the two-dimensional images with three-dimensional reconstructions. They were instructed by experienced radiologists and collegiate tutors. The improvement in radiological knowledge, diagnostic skills and visual-spatial ability was assessed immediately before and after the course by multiple-choice tests comprising 64 questions each. Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples was applied. Results: The total number of correctly answered questions improved from 36.9±4.8 to 49.5±5.4 (p <0.001) which corresponded to a mean improvement of 12.6 (95% confidence interval 9.9–15.3) or 19.8%. Radiological knowledge improved by 36.0% (p <0.001), diagnostic skills for cross-sectional imaging by 38.7% (p <0.001), diagnostic skills for other imaging modalities – which were not included in the course – by 14.0% (p =0.001), and visual-spatial ability by 11.3% (p <0.001). Conclusion: The integration of interactive three-dimensional image post-processing software into undergraduate radiology education effectively improves radiological reasoning, diagnostic skills and visual-spatial ability, and thereby even diagnostic skills for imaging modalities not included in the course. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to test the difference between visual artists and engineers with respect to visual- object and visual-spatial ability, and to investigate if this difference results in different strategies for processing and producing navigational information. Respondents carried out description tasks based on route images and drawing tasks based on route descriptions. Results show that object visualizers (designers) process route information more often from a survey perspective, focus more on objects (landmarks) and create more detailed drawings than spatial visualizers. Conversely, spatial visualizers (engineers) process route information more often from a route perspective, focus more on path entities (streets), and create more schematic drawings than object visualizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing literature on the acquisition of surgical skills suggests that women generally perform worse than men. This literature is limited by looking at an arbitrary number of trials and not adjusting for potential confounders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender on the learning curve for a fundamental laparoscopic task. Methods: Thirty-two medical students performed the FLS peg transfer task and their scores were plotted to generate a learning curve. Nonlinear regression was used to estimate learning plateau and learning rate. Variables that may affect performance were assessed using a questionnaire. Innate visual-spatial abilities were evaluated using tests for spatial orientation, spatial scanning, and perceptual abilities. Score on first peg transfer attempt, learning plateau, and learning rate were compared for men and women using Student's t test. Innate abilities were correlated to simulator performance using Pearson's coefficient. Multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the effect of gender on early laparoscopic performance after adjusting for factors found significant on univariate analysis. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Results: Nineteen men and 13 women participated in the study; 30 were right-handed, 12 reported high interest in surgery, and 26 had video game experience. There were no differences between men and women in initial peg transfer score, learning plateau, or learning rate. Initial peg transfer score and learning rate were higher in subjects who reported having a high interest in surgery ( P = 0.02, P = 0.03). Initial score also correlated with perceptual ability score ( P = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, only surgical interest remained a significant predictor of score on first peg transfer ( P = 0.03) and learning rate ( P = 0.02), while gender had no significant relationship to early performance. Conclusions: Gender did not affect the learning curve for a fundamental laparoscopic task, while interest in surgery and perceptual abilities did influence early performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The goal of the current research was to introduce a new component of intelligence: visual-object intelligence, that reflects one’s ability to process information about visual appearances of objects and their pictorial properties (e.g., shape, color and texture) as well as to demonstrate that it is distinct from visual–spatial intelligence, which reflects one’s ability to process information about spatial relations and manipulate objects in space. Study 1 investigated the relationship between performance on various measures of visual-object and visual–spatial abilities, and areas of specialization (visual art, science and humanities). Study 2 examined qualitative differences in approaches to interpreting visual abstract information between visual artists, scientists and humanities/social science professionals. Study 3 investigated qualitative differences in visual-object versus visual–spatial processing by examining how members of different professions generate, transform, inspect, and manipulate visual images. The results of the three studies demonstrated that visual-object ability satisfies the requirements of an independent component of intelligence: (1) it uniquely relates to specialization in visual art; (2) it supports processing of abstract visual-object information; and (3) it has unique quantitative and qualitative characteristics, distinct from those of visual–spatial processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data of item responses to the Impossible Figures Task (IFT) from 492 Chinese primary, secondary, and university students were analyzed using the dichotomous Rasch measurement model. Item difficulty estimates and person ability estimates located on the same logit scale revealed that the pooled sample of Chinese students, who were relatively highly able, might find it relatively easy to complete the IFT, and there might be relatively fewer number of items at the higher end than at the lower end of the item difficulty scale. The substantial correlation between person ability estimates and external criterion measures (mental rotation test scores and judged drawing scores) provided support for the validity of the IFT in identifying visual-spatial talents among students. Implications of the findings for the use and the future development or refinement of the IFT are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of an acute administration of nicotine on arousal and visual-spatial ability in healthy non-smoking participants was investigated. Healthy adult volunteers with a mean age of 19.98 years received a transdermal nicotine or placebo patch prior to completing a water-level task and two mental rotation tasks while concurrent psychophysiological recordings were taken. Nicotine administration showed a sexually dimorphic effect on arousal (skin conductance level and heart rate). Evidence of superior performance in males compared to females was found in reaction time and accuracy measures for the visual-spatial tasks. However, performance reflected the interaction between sex and nicotine. Nicotine slowed reaction times in the mental rotation tasks more extensively in females than males. Nicotine also reduced confidence in performance during the water-level task in males, but not in females. The effects of nicotine on visual-spatial ability may reflect the interactive effects of sex and changes in arousal levels induced by nicotine administration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: We previously reported that a particular type of visual–spatial ability, mental rotation of visual forms, correlates with surgical performance in residents. In the current study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify patterns of cortical activation associated with mental rotation ability in those same residents. Methods: Seventeen surgery residents underwent fMRI scan while performing a mental rotations test (MRT) and a perceptual matching task as a control (CON) for nonimagery components, such as visual attention. A contrast analysis (MRT greater than CON) revealed cortical regions engaged during mental rotation by all participants, and parametric statistical analysis identified regions having the strongest association with MRT performance. Results: Significant bilateral (left greater than right) activation was seen in all participants for rotation-versus-perceptual CON contrast. Better MRT performance was associated with greater activation in several cortical regions related to visual imagery and motion processing. Comments: Surgery residents represent a unique population in which to study individual differences in visual–spatial abilities and associated neural substrates because they may relate to technical skills. These findings suggest that variation in performance on spatially complex tasks involving imagery may reflect different spatial problem-solving strategies in surgery students. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: In the literature of skill acquisition and transfer of skills, it often is assumed that the rate of skill acquisition depends on what has been learned in a similar context (i.e., surgical simulators providing haptic feedback). This study aimed to analyze whether the addition of haptic feedback early in the training phase for image-guided surgical simulation improves performance.Methods: A randomized crossover study design was used, in which 38 surgical residents were randomized to begin a 2-h simulator training session with either haptic or nonhaptic training followed by crossover after 1 h. The graphic context was a virtual upper abdomen. The residents performed two diathermy tasks. Two validated tests were used to control for differences in visual-spatial ability: the BasIQ general cognitive ability test and Mental Rotation Test A (MRT-A).Results: After 2 h of training, the group that had started with haptic feedback performed the two diathermy tasks significantly better (p < 0.05, unpaired t-test). Only the group that had started with haptic training significantly improved during the last 1-h session (p < 0.01, paired t-test).Conclusion: The findings indicate that haptic feedback could be important in the early training phase of skill acquisition in image-guided surgical simulator training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the validity of the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA1) by comparing it to the WAIS-R using a sample of 80 college students reporting learning difficulties. Results indicated that the mean GAMA IQ score did not deviate significantly from the mean WAIS-R IQ scores. The GAMA Full Scale IQ correlated significantly with the WAIS-R PIQ VIQ, and FSIQ scores. However, the obtained correlation coefficient for the GAMA and WAIS-R PIQ significantly differed from the observed correlation coefficient between the GAMA and WAIS-R VIQ, suggesting that the GAMA was more clearly associated with perceptual skills than verbal abilities. When the correlation coefficients between the GAMA and WAIS-R scores were corrected for the effects of range restriction, the correlation coefficients increased, yet demonstrated the same pattern (e.g., GAMA/PIQ, .69; GAMA/VIQ, .36; GAMA/FSIQ, .60). The GAMA's accuracy in predicting individual student performance on the WAIS-R FSIQ also was examined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Periodic circadian protein homolog 2 (PER2) has a role in the intracellular signaling pathways of long-term potentiation and has implications for synaptic plasticity. We aimed to assess the association of PER2 C111G polymorphism with cognitive functions in subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Methods: Forty-five SCD patients were included in this study. All participants underwent extensive neuropsychological investigation, analysis of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and PER2 genotypes, and neuropsychological follow-up every 12 or 24 months for a mean time of 9.87 ± 4.38 years. Results: Nine out of 45 patients (20%) were heterozygous carriers of the PER2 C111G polymorphism (G carriers), while 36 patients (80%) were not carriers of the G allele (G non-carriers). At baseline, G carriers had a higher language composite score compared to G non-carriers. During follow-up, 15 (34.88%) patients progressed to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this group, we found a significant interaction between PER2 G allele and follow-up time, as carriers of G allele showed greater worsening of executive function, visual-spatial ability, and language composite scores compared to G non-carriers. Conclusions: PER2 C111G polymorphism is associated with better language performance in SCD patients. Nevertheless, as patients progress to MCI, G allele carriers showed a greater worsening in cognitive performance compared to G non-carriers. The effect of PER2 C111G polymorphism depends on the global cognitive status of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]