In a study at Imperial College London, researchers are delving into the intricate workings of surgeons’ brains in operation theaters. Led by Daniel Leff, a senior researcher and consultant breast surgeon at Imperial College healthcare NHS Trust, the team aimed to uncover indicators of cognitive overload that could jeopardise patient safety.
Using a cap equipped with optical probes, trainee surgeon Mary Goble underwent scrutiny as she navigated through a simulated emergency surgery. Despite outward composure, her brain activity revealed the hidden strain of managing multiple stressors simultaneously.
“You often don’t really see any external signs from people” as doctors have a “don’t hesitate to cope” thinking, said Leff.
Leff said, “I think if this is framed in a way that is about helping people become the best doctors they can be and that it’s about patient safety, the acceptance is greater.” “The moment you try to use these things to say that someone is or isn’t capable, you start to run into problems,” he added.
He also envisioned a future where real-time brain activity monitoring could trigger interventions to support surgeons under duress.
The study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor changes in blood oxygenation, correlating with neural activity. By analysing fNIRS signatures, researchers aimed to pinpoint moments of cognitive overload, potentially revolutionising surgical training and patient safety protocols.
While real-time brain activity readouts during surgery remain a distant prospect, advancements in brain-computer-interface technologies offer hope for future applications,
The team is also exploring transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a tool to enhance surgical performance. “When it comes to neuro-augmentation that’s certainly more challenging ground and people become more sceptical,” Leff said.
“It’s an area that’s going to struggle to garner much support as you are talking about sending signals to someone’s brain. fNIRS is harmless monitoring of what’s happening and we have seen that’s way more acceptable to people,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)