title: A computerised test of perceptual ability for learning endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery and other image guided procedures: Score norms for PicSOr.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aptitude to infer the shape of 3-D structures, such as internal organs from 2-D monitor displays, in image guided endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures varies. We sought both to validate a computer-generated task Pictorial Surface Orientation (PicSOr), which assesses this aptitude, and to identify norm referenced scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  400 subjects (339 surgeons and 61 controls) completed the PicSOr test. 50 subjects completed it again one year afterwards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data was available on 396 of 400 subjects (99%). PicSOr demonstrated high test and re-test reliability (r = 0.807, p < 0.000). Surgeons performed better than controls' (surgeons = 0.874 V controls = 0.747, p < 0.000). Some surgeons (n = 22-5.5%) performed atypically on the test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PicSOr has population distribution scores that are negatively skewed. PicSOr quantitatively characterises an aptitude strongly correlated to the learning and performance of image guided medical tasks. Most can do the PicSOr task almost perfectly, but a substantial minority do so atypically, and this is probably relevant to learning and performing endoscopic tasks.
authors.affiliation: ASSERT Centre, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: p.henn@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henn
authors.affiliation: ASSERT Centre, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. Electronic address: ag.gallaher@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. Electronic address: emmelinenugent@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: Emmeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK. Electronic address: R.Cowie@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Roddy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.affiliation: Tufts University School of Medicine, Dept. of Surgery, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, 01199, USA. Electronic address: Neal.Seymour@baystatehealth.org.
authors.forename: Neal E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery, Pennsylvania State University, C4628, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA. Electronic address: rhaluck@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Randy S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Haluck
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. Electronic address: hazemhseino@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: Hazem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hseino
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. Electronic address: o.traynor@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Traynor
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery, Tallaght Hospital and University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland. Electronic address: Paul.Neary@amnch.ie.
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Neary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003201:Computers; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000193:education; D008297:Male; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted; D014796:Visual Perception