J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2021; 82(S 02): S65-S270
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1725404
Presentation Abstracts
Poster Abstracts

Interactive Virtual Reality as an Anatomy Teaching Tool: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Trigeminal Nerve Virtual Reality Model

Katherine Y. Liu
1   State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, United States
,
Sen J. Ninan
2   SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
,
Andrey Filimonov
3   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
,
Annie E. Arrighi-Allisan
3   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
,
Katherine L. Garvey
3   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
,
Joshua Zeiger
3   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
,
Gale Justin
4   Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States
,
Ni-ka Ford
4   Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States
,
Jill Gregory
4   Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States
,
Daniella Curcio
5   Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
,
Raj K. Shrivastava
6   Department of Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, New York, United States
,
Alfred M. Iloreta
3   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
 

Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) model, as compared with textbooks, for teaching the anatomy of the trigeminal nerve.

Study Design: This is a randomized, controlled, crossover trial.

Methods: First-year medical students from a single institution were recruited for the study. Students completed a prestudy demographic and knowledge assessment survey to ascertain their prior experience with VR and preexisting knowledge of the trigeminal nerve. We exposed all students to a brief, 5-minute overview of the cranial nerves and randomized them to two groups. The first group studied a VR model of the first and second divisions of the trigeminal nerve (V1/V2), while the control group studied the same material from textbooks for 12 minutes. Patients were subsequently crossed over to the other educational modality to study the third division (V3) for 12 minutes. Following the study session, students completed a poststudy knowledge quiz, subjective experience survey, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Task Load Index (TLI) survey to measure cognitive and physical workload. One month postintervention, students received and completed a retention quiz. Student's t-test was performed to compare students' performance on poststudy tests, subjective experience surveys, and NASA TLI surveys.

Results: Preliminary data revealed that students found the VR interactive trigeminal nerve model to be more useful and engaging than they did textbooks. Students were more likely to recommend the VR interactive model to other students over traditional textbooks. Students utilizing the VR model were found to have superior retention of trigeminal nerve anatomy, despite reporting higher cognitive and physical task loads. When working in conjunction with the anatomy course director, the VR model was a feasible learning tool to integrate into the traditional first-year anatomy curriculum.

Conclusion: Interactive VR anatomic models may serve as adjuncts to traditional medical education, augmenting student engagement, motivation, and conceptualization of complex head and neck anatomy.



Publication History

Article published online:
12 February 2021

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