Clinical trial NCT05985746: Comparative Study of Augmented Reality vs Traditional Learning in Anatomy Education
Official title: Effectiveness of Augmented Reality in Anatomy Education: The TEACHANATOMY Randomized Clinical Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Augmented Reality
Anatomy Education
Keywords: Anatomy teaching
Augmented reality
Microsoft HoloLens
Cranial nerves
Lead sponsor: Balgrist University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Zurich
First posted: 2023-08-14
Enrollment: 48
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 25
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the efficacy of augmented reality (AR) in anatomy teaching.

The main question to answer is: Is 3-Dimensional AR technology more effective than traditional learning methods in anatomy education? In this clinical trial undergraduate medical students with no prior anatomy education will be recruited. Participants in the AR group will learn the anatomy of the cranial nerves with an AR application using Microsoft HoloLens 2, whereas participants in the control group will learn with traditional learning methods (textbooks, atlases, videos, and online learning programs).

Detailed description: Anatomy is a central part in medical training and is traditionally taught through lectures, textbooks, videos and cadaver dissections. Cadaver dissections are important to understand spatial relationships and individual variations of anatomical structures. In many universities, however, financial and ethical considerations, as well as uncommon circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have restricted access to cadaver dissections. Consequently, new teaching methods based on visual technologies such as augmented reality (AR) are being implemented worldwide. AR can generate realistic 3-dimensional (3D) images overlaid in the real-word environment, merging real and virtual world to provide an interactive learning experience. The use of such technologies in education is still in the early stages, and further research is needed to assess their beneficial impact in knowledge acquisition. The TEACHANATOMY project aim to develop a 3D, interactive AR teaching module focused on the anatomy of the cranial nerves. To assess its potential value in anatomy education, the investigators will perform a study to compare traditional learning methods based on textbooks, videos, and online resources, with the novel AR learning module using the HoloLens 2 (Microsoft Corporation). The goal is to assess whether AR technology can improve anatomical knowledge and enhance student's motivation and engagement.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Medical students attending the 1st or 2nd year of undergraduate medical education
* Must not have prior neuroanatomical education

Exclusion Criteria:

* Epilepsy
* Binocular vision disorder such as strabismus
* Current head and/or neck injuries
* Inflammation of the scalp and/or eye
* Amputations or partial amputations of the hands

Primary outcomes:
measure: Knowledge acquisition
timeFrame: Immediately after the study session, Day 1
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Adverse Health Symptoms
timeFrame: Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.
measure: User experience
timeFrame: Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Zürich
country: Switzerland
facility: Balgrist University Hospital
state: Z
Study officials:
affiliation: Balgrust University Hospital
name: Lukas Zingg, Cand. Med.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Moro C, Stromberga Z, Raikos A, Stirling A. The effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality in health sciences and medical anatomy. Anat Sci Educ. 2017 Nov;10(6):549-559. doi: 10.1002/ase.1696. Epub 2017 Apr 17.
citation: Bolek KA, De Jong G, Henssen D. The effectiveness of the use of augmented reality in anatomy education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 27;11(1):15292. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-94721-4.
citation: Chytas D, Johnson EO, Piagkou M, Mazarakis A, Babis GC, Chronopoulos E, Nikolaou VS, Lazaridis N, Natsis K. The role of augmented reality in Anatomical education: An overview. Ann Anat. 2020 May;229:151463. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2020.151463. Epub 2020 Jan 21.
citation: Curran VR, Xu X, Aydin MY, Meruvia-Pastor O. Use of Extended Reality in Medical Education: An Integrative Review. Med Sci Educ. 2022 Dec 19;33(1):275-286. doi: 10.1007/s40670-022-01698-4. eCollection 2023 Feb.
citation: Gsaxner C, Li J, Pepe A, Jin Y, Kleesiek J, Schmalstieg D, Egger J. The HoloLens in medicine: A systematic review and taxonomy. Med Image Anal. 2023 Apr;85:102757. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2023.102757. Epub 2023 Jan 21.
citation: McBain KA, Habib R, Laggis G, Quaiattini A, M Ventura N, Noel GPJC. Scoping review: The use of augmented reality in clinical anatomical education and its assessment tools. Anat Sci Educ. 2022 Jul;15(4):765-796. doi: 10.1002/ase.2155. Epub 2022 Jan 19.
citation: Moro C, Birt J, Stromberga Z, Phelps C, Clark J, Glasziou P, Scott AM. Virtual and Augmented Reality Enhancements to Medical and Science Student Physiology and Anatomy Test Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Anat Sci Educ. 2021 May;14(3):368-376. doi: 10.1002/ase.2049. Epub 2021 Feb 26.
citation: Navab N, Martin-Gomez A, Seibold M, Sommersperger M, Song T, Winkler A, Yu K, Eck U. Medical Augmented Reality: Definition, Principle Components, Domain Modeling, and Design-Development-Validation Process. J Imaging. 2022 Dec 23;9(1):4. doi: 10.3390/jimaging9010004.
citation: Stojanovska M, Tingle G, Tan L, Ulrey L, Simonson-Shick S, Mlakar J, Eastman H, Gotschall R, Boscia A, Enterline R, Henninger E, Herrmann KA, Simpson SW, Griswold MA, Wish-Baratz S. Mixed Reality Anatomy Using Microsoft HoloLens and Cadaveric Dissection: A Comparative Effectiveness Study. Med Sci Educ. 2019 Nov 15;30(1):173-178. doi: 10.1007/s40670-019-00834-x. eCollection 2020 Mar.
citation: Stromberga Z, Phelps C, Smith J, Moro C. Teaching with Disruptive Technology: The Use of Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality (HoloLens) for Disease Education. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1317:147-162. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-61125-5_8.
citation: Uruthiralingam U, Rea PM. Augmented and Virtual Reality in Anatomical Education - A Systematic Review. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1235:89-101. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-37639-0_5.
citation: Ghosh SK. Cadaveric dissection as an educational tool for anatomical sciences in the 21st century. Anat Sci Educ. 2017 Jun;10(3):286-299. doi: 10.1002/ase.1649. Epub 2016 Aug 30.