Interactive laboratory classes enhance neurophysiological knowledge in Thai medical students.

Interactive laboratory class (ILC) is a two-way communication teaching method that encourages students to correlate laboratory findings with materials from lectures. In Thai medical education, active learning methods are uncommon. This paper aims to establish 1) if ILCs would effectively promote physiology learning; 2) if effectiveness would be found in both previously academically high-performing and low-performing students; and 3) the acceptability of ILCs to Thai medical students as a novel learning method. Two hundred seventy-eight second-year medical students were recruited to this study. We conducted three ILC sessions, which followed corresponding lectures. We carried out multiple-choice pre- and post-ILC assessments of knowledge and compared by repeated-measures ANOVA and unpaired t-test. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare high-performance (HighP) and low-performance (LowP) students. After the ILCs, participants self-rated their knowledge and satisfaction. Post-ILC test scores increased significantly compared with pre-ILC test scores in all three sessions. Mean scores of each post-ILC test increased significantly from pre-ILC test in both LowP and HighP groups. More students self-reported a "very high" and "high" level of knowledge after ILCs. Most students agreed that ILCs provided more discussion opportunity, motivated their learning, and made lessons more enjoyable. As an adjunct to lectures, ILCs can enhance knowledge in medical students, regardless of previous academic performance. Students perceived ILC as useful and acceptable. This study supports the active learning methods in physiology education, regardless of cultural context.

Diagnostic values of inferior Q-waves for myocardial scar identification detected by 3.0 T cardiac MRI.

While Q-waves in inferior leads, particularly lead III, can be regarded as a minor abnormality, it can also indicate the presence of myocardial scar. This study assessed the diagnostic value of pathologic inferior Q-waves (lead II, III, aVF) for detecting ischemic scars using a high-resolution 3.0 T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We retrospectively analyzed 1692 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease who underwent stress CMR perfusion or viability assessment. Pathologic Q-waves were defined as duration of ≥ 30 ms and depth of ≥ 1 mm or QS-complex. Eleven models were created to evaluate the presence of Q-waves in different combinations of inferior leads. Of the 1692 patients, 436 (25.8%) had pathologic Q-waves. Models with Q-waves in leads II + aVF (model 7) and II + III + aVF (model 9) showed high specificity (100% and 99.6%), positive predictive value (PPV) (80.0% and 86.7%), and negative predictive value (NPV) (82.6% and 84.3%) but low sensitivity (1.3% and 13.1%). Other models also maintained high specificity and NPV but poor sensitivity and PPV. Notably, 21% of patients with an isolated pathologic Q-wave in lead III (model 4) exhibited scars. These findings highlight the need for careful clinical assessment when pathologic Q-waves are present.