Deep Brain Stimulation
© 2009 Edheads
Based on a real surgical procedure, this step-by-step simulation teaches you how to implant a small electrode in the center of a patient's brain. The process, called Deep Brain Stimulation, is used to remedy the effects of nerve disorders such as those caused by Parkinson's Disease. Your patient is a 59 year old women named Ellen, and you are provided with a case history before the procedure, which takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. You control each step -- from putting the six small screws (called fiducials) into the skull by clicking on each marked spot, to inserting the electrical probe at exactly the right depth, by dragging your cursor over a lever. You learn a bit about brain structure, and a lot about medical procedures. For example, the exact placement of the probe is essential in order to have the desired effect, and the only way to know is for the patient to tell you (she's awake during the procedure). Later, you put in the battery packs and adjust the charge. Despite the obvious gory theme, the task is presented in a way so that the focus is on the process rather than the blood. At various points, you're given a multiple choice quiz asking you to justify your actions. If you make a mistake? No worries and no malpractice. The computer gently moves you to the next step. If you like, there are a range of online resources related to the process, as well as real video and photographs of the process, if you have the nerve to look at them. Like the previous titles from Edheads, such as "Virtual Knee Surgery", it is an outstanding learning resource. This title was created by Clearly Trained and published by Edheads with funding from the Ohio State University Medical Center Department of Neurosurgery.
Windows, Mac OSX, Internet Site
Teaches: science, medicine, Neurosurgery, math, following directions
CTR Rating: 94%