Visuospatial Ability as a Predictor of Novice Performance in Ultrasound-guided Regional Anesthesia.

Background: Visuospatial ability correlates positively with novice performance of simple laparoscopic tasks. The aims of this study were to identify whether visuospatial ability could predict technical performance of an ultrasound-guided needle task by novice operators and to describe how emotional state, intelligence, and fear of failure impact on this.

Methods: Sixty medical student volunteers enrolled in this observational study.