New simulator could help neurosurgeons learn to apply the right touch
NCT ID NCT07583082
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a new training platform that uses a calf brain inside a 3D-printed skull to measure how much force surgeons apply during a simulated brain surgery procedure. Researchers will recruit 30 medical students, residents, fellows, and staff neurosurgeons to perform three simulated resections each. The goal is to see if the system can tell the difference between novice and expert surgeons, which could help improve surgical training.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a validated tool for training neurosurgeons to apply safer forces during brain surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 30 participants, and it uses a calf brain model, which may not fully replicate human surgery. The results may not directly improve patient outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Staff neurosurgeons, neurosurgical fellows, neurosurgical residents, and medical students from four Quebec institutions.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Medical students, neurosurgical residents, neurosurgical fellows, and staff neurosurgeons from one of four Quebec institutions who do not fit the exclusion criteria. Exclusion Criteria: * For medical students, participation in a previous trial where they received training on the NeuroVR surgical simulator or the ex vivo calf brain simulation model.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Neuro Imaging and Surgical Technologies Lab, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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