title: Music experience influences laparoscopic skills performance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Music education affects the mathematical and visuo-spatial skills of school-age children. Visuo-spatial abilities have a significant effect on laparoscopic suturing performance. We hypothesize that prior music experience influences the performance of laparoscopic suturing tasks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty novices observed a laparoscopic suturing task video. Each performed 3 timed suturing task trials. Demographics were recorded. A repeated measures linear mixed model was used to examine the effects of prior music experience on suturing task time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve women and 18 men completed the tasks. When adjusted for video game experience, participants who currently played an instrument performed significantly faster than those who did not (P<0.001). The model showed a significant sex by instrument interaction. Men who had never played an instrument or were currently playing an instrument performed better than women in the same group (P=0.002 and P<0.001). There was no sex difference in the performance of participants who had played an instrument in the past (P=0.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study attempted to investigate the effect of music experience on the laparoscopic suturing abilities of surgical novices. The visuo-spatial abilities used in laparoscopic suturing may be enhanced in those involved in playing an instrument.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Tanner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Inkyung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Sickle
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwesinger
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michalek
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bingener