Background:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established neurosurgical procedure commonly used in movement and psychiatric disorders. Its widespread clinical implementation, however, may not be commensurate with medical education. No current assessment of medical student’s understanding of DBS as a treatment option for indicated conditions is available, potentially threatening the availability of DBS to future patients. The aim of the present study is to explore the current knowledge and attitudes of medical students toward DBS as a treatment modality.

Methods:

A total of 65 medical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine were surveyed regarding their knowledge of DBS. The survey consisted of a 25-item questionnaire including a demographic section and 3 separate inventories designed to assess bias, knowledge, and self-assessment of knowledge specific to DBS therapy. Students in pre-clinical and clinical years were analyzed separately to describe changes in knowledge or attitude associated with clinical exposure to DBS. Comparisons were analyzed using t tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlations.

Results:

Of surveyed students, 36% were unsure of the FDA approval status of DBS treatment; 65% of students believed they had not been adequately educated about DBS and its utility; and 10.6% of students believed that DBS is likely associated with severe adverse effects and/or brain damage. The overall baseline attitudes of students toward DBS were positive. There was no observed difference between surveyed pre-clinical and clinical students, highlighting a lack of exposure throughout the clinical years of medical school education.

Conclusion:

Although DBS is an effective treatment modality for various conditions, current education is non-commensurate with its application, which can negatively impact awareness and understanding for its implications by medical professionals. In order to better serve patients who may benefit from DBS, medical curricula must change to educate future physicians on the benefit of this intervention.

中文翻译：

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医学生对脑深部刺激的认识与认知

背景：

深部脑刺激 (DBS) 是一种成熟的神经外科手术，通常用于运动和精神疾病。然而，其广泛的临床实施可能与医学教育不相称。目前尚无对医学生对 DBS 作为适应症的治疗选择的理解的评估，这可能会威胁到 DBS 对未来患者的可用性。本研究的目的是探讨医学生目前对 DBS 作为一种治疗方式的认识和态度。

方法：

共有 65 名弗吉尼亚理工大学 Carilion 医学院的医学生接受了有关 DBS 知识的调查。该调查由 25 项问卷组成，包括人口统计部分和 3 个单独的清单，旨在评估偏差、知识和对 DBS 治疗特定知识的自我评估。分别对临床前和临床阶段的学生进行分析，以描述与临床接触 DBS 相关的知识或态度的变化。使用t检验、ANOVA 和 Pearson 相关性分析比较。

结果：

在接受调查的学生中，36% 的人不确定 FDA 批准 DBS 治疗的状态；65% 的学生认为他们没有接受过关于 DBS 及其实用性的充分教育；10.6% 的学生认为 DBS 可能与严重的不良反应和/或脑损伤有关。学生对星展银行的总体基线态度是积极的。接受调查的临床前和临床学生之间没有观察到差异，这突出表明在医学院教育的整个临床年中缺乏接触。

结论：

尽管 DBS 是针对各种疾病的有效治疗方式，但当前的教育与其应用不相称，这可能会对医疗专业人员对其影响的认识和理解产生负面影响。为了更好地服务于可能受益于 DBS 的患者，必须改变医学课程，以教育未来的医生了解这种干预的好处。