VR headset vs. dummy: which trains future doctors better for ECT?
NCT ID NCT07350278
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study compares virtual reality (VR) simulation to traditional mannequin-based training for teaching medical students how to perform electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). 78 medical students with no prior ECT training will be randomly assigned to practice with either a VR simulator or a mannequin. The goal is to see if VR training is as effective as the standard method for building ECT skills.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality simulation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that VR is a practical and effective tool for training medical students in ECT, potentially reducing costs and increasing access to training.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage educational study (78 participants) that only measures skill acquisition in a controlled setting, not real patient outcomes. The VR training may not translate to better real-world performance.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 78 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
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.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- 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: * Is a medical student at the University of Toronto * Has not received formal ECT training before Exclusion Criteria: * Visual or hearing impairment that does not allow the participant to use VR. * History of significant motion sickness.
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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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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada
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