Realistic simulation is associated with healthcare professionals' increased self-perception of confidence in providing acute stroke care: a before-after controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Simulations are becoming widely used in medical education, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness on neurocritical care. Because acute stroke is a neurological emergency demanding prompt attention, it is a promising candidate for simulation training. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a stroke realistic simulation course on clinicians' self-perception of confidence in the management of acute stroke. METHODS: We conducted a controlled, before-after study. For our intervention, 17 healthcare professionals participated in a stroke realistic simulation course. As controls, participants were chosen from a convenience sample of attendees to the courses Emergency Neurologic Life Support (ENLS) (18 participants) and Neurosonology (20 participants). All participants responded pre- and post-test questionnaires evaluating their self-perception of confidence in acute stroke care, ranging from 10 to 50 points. We evaluated the variation between pre- and post-test results to assess the change on trainees' self-perception of confidence in the management of acute stroke. Multivariate analysis was performed to control for potential confounders. RESULTS: Forty-six (83.63%) subjects completed both questionnaires. The post-test scores were higher than those from the pretests in the stroke realistic simulation course group [pretest median (interquartile range - IQR): 41.5 (36.7-46.5) and post-test median (IQR): 47 (44.7-48); p=0.033], but not in the neurosonology [pretest median (IQR): 46 (44-47) and post-test median (IQR): 46 (44-47); p=0.739] or the ENLS [pretest median (IQR): 46.5 (39-48.2), post-test median (IQR): 47 (40.2-49); p=0.317] groups. Results were maintained after adjustment for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This stroke realistic simulation course was associated with an improvement on trainees' self-perception of confidence in providing acute stroke care.

Realistic simulation is associated with healthcare professionals' increased self-perception of confidence in providing acute stroke care: a before-after controlled study / Simulação realística é associada a aumento na autopercepção de segurança de profissionais de saúde no atendimento a pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral agudo: um estudo antes-depois controlado

ABSTRACT Background: Simulations are becoming widely used in medical education, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness on neurocritical care. Because acute stroke is a neurological emergency demanding prompt attention, it is a promising candidate for simulation training. Objective: To assess the impact of a stroke realistic simulation course on clinicians' self-perception of confidence in the management of acute stroke. Methods: We conducted a controlled, before-after study. For our intervention, 17 healthcare professionals participated in a stroke realistic simulation course. As controls, participants were chosen from a convenience sample of attendees to the courses Emergency Neurologic Life Support (ENLS) (18 participants) and Neurosonology (20 participants). All participants responded pre- and post-test questionnaires evaluating their self-perception of confidence in acute stroke care, ranging from 10 to 50 points. We evaluated the variation between pre- and post-test results to assess the change on trainees' self-perception of confidence in the management of acute stroke. Multivariate analysis was performed to control for potential confounders. Results: Forty-six (83.63%) subjects completed both questionnaires. The post-test scores were higher than those from the pretests in the stroke realistic simulation course group [pretest median (interquartile range - IQR): 41.5 (36.7-46.5) and post-test median (IQR): 47 (44.7-48); p=0.033], but not in the neurosonology [pretest median (IQR): 46 (44-47) and post-test median (IQR): 46 (44-47); p=0.739] or the ENLS [pretest median (IQR): 46.5 (39-48.2), post-test median (IQR): 47 (40.2-49); p=0.317] groups. Results were maintained after adjustment for covariates. Conclusions: This stroke realistic simulation course was associated with an improvement on trainees' self-perception of confidence in providing acute stroke care.

RESUMO Introdução: Simulações são amplamente utilizadas na educação médica, mas há pouca evidência de sua eficácia no tratamento de pacientes neurocríticos. Como o acidente vascular cerebral agudo (AVC) é uma patologia que requer atendimento imediato, o uso de simulação pode ser uma ferramenta útil no treinamento do manejo desses pacientes. Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto do uso de simulação realística na autopercepção de segurança no atendimento a pacientes vítimas de AVC agudo. Métodos: Estudo antes-depois controlado. No grupo da intervenção, 17 profissionais da área de saúde participaram de um curso de simulação realística de atendimento a pacientes com AVC. Como controles, os participantes foram escolhidos a partir de uma amostra de conveniência composta por 18 participantes do curso Emergency Neurologic Life Support (ENLS) e 20 participantes de um curso de Neurossonologia. Foram respondidos questionários antes e após o curso para avaliar a autopercepção de segurança no atendimento a pacientes vítimas de AVC agudo, variando de 10 a 50 pontos. Foi avaliada a variação entre os resultados pré- e pós-teste, para avaliar a mudança na autopercepção de confiança do trainee no manejo do AVC agudo. Análise multivariada foi realizada para controlar possíveis fatores de confusão. Resultados: Quarenta e seis (83,63%) participantes responderam aos questionários. A pontuação no questionário pós-curso foi maior do que a obtida no questionário pré-curso no grupo de participantes do curso de simulação realística em AVC [mediana do questionário pré-curso: 41,5 (36,7-46,5) e mediana do questionário pós-curso: 47,0 (44,7-48,0); p=0,033]. Essa diferença não foi observada no curso de Neurossonologia [mediana pré-curso (IQR): 46,0 (44,0-47,00), mediana pós-curso (IQR): 46,0 (44,0-47,0); p=0,739] nem no ENLS [mediana pré-curso (IQR): 46,5 (39,0-48,2) mediana pós-curso (IQR): 47,0 (40,2-49,0); p=0,317]. Esses resultados persistiram após ajuste das variáveis. Conclusão: O curso de simulação realística em AVC foi associado a um aumento na autopercepção de segurança dos participantes em atender pacientes vítimas de AVC agudo.

Erratum to: Effects of somatosensory stimulation on corticomotor excitability in patients with unilateral cerebellar infarcts and healthy subjects - preliminary results.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40673-014-0016-5.].

Effects of somatosensory stimulation on corticomotor excitability in patients with unilateral cerebellar infarcts and healthy subjects - preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: In healthy humans, somatosensory stimulation in the form of 2 h-repetitive peripheral afferent nerve stimulation (SS) increases excitability of the contralateral motor cortex. In this preliminary study, we explored effects of SS on excitability to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with unilateral cerebellar infarcts and age-matched controls. METHODS: Ten patients with infarcts in one cerebellar hemisphere and six age-matched controls participated in the study. Each subject participated in one session of active, and one session of sham SS delivered to the median nerve ipsilateral to the cerebellar infarct in patients, and to the homologous nerve in controls. Before and after each session, the following TMS measures were performed: resting motor threshold (rMT), motor evoked potentials (MEPs), short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and short-interval intracortical facilitation (SICF). Amplitudes of motor evoked potentials were normalized to amplitudes of supramaximal M responses (MEP/M ratios). RESULTS: In the control group, there was a significant increase in rMT, and a significant increase in MEP/M ratios after active, but not after sham SS. There were no significant differences in rMT or MEP/M ratios in the group of patients after active or sham SS. There were no significant differences in SICI or SICF after active or sham SS in either group. CONCLUSION: Consistent with results reported in rodents, these preliminary findings suggest for the first time in humans, that normal cerebellar activity is required so that SS can modulate excitability of the sensorimotor cortex.

Interhemispheric asymmetry of corticomotor excitability after chronic cerebellar infarcts.

Early after stroke, there is loss of intracortical facilitation (ICF) and increase in short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) in the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to a cerebellar infarct. Our goal was to investigate intracortical M1 function in the chronic stage following cerebellar infarcts (>4 months). We measured resting motor threshold (rMT), SICI, ICF, and ratios between motor-evoked potential amplitudes (MEP) and supramaximal M response amplitudes (MEP/M; %), after transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to the M1 contralateral (M1(contralesional)) and ipsilateral (M1(ipsilesional)) to the cerebellar infarct in patients and to both M1s of healthy age-matched volunteers. SICI was decreased in M1(contralesional) compared to M1(ipsilesional) in the patient group in the absence of side-to-side differences in controls. There were no significant interhemispheric or between-group differences in rMT, ICF, or MEP/M (%). Our results document disinhibition of M1(contralesional) in the chronic phase after cerebellar stroke.