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Brain fuel switch: can a ketone drink boost aging brains?

NCT ID NCT07711990

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Christopher Crabtree Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study investigates whether a ketone ester supplement can alter brain function, blood flow, and metabolism in healthy adults aged 45 to 65. Ketones are an alternative fuel the body makes during fasting, and researchers want to see if raising ketone levels with a drink changes how the brain works. Participants will consume the supplement and a placebo on separate days, then undergo brain imaging, blood tests, and cognitive assessments. The goal is to understand how ketones influence the healthy aging brain and lay groundwork for future studies on cognitive decline.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a ketone ester drink
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to support healthy brain aging through diet-like supplements.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to people with cognitive decline. The effects may be subtle or temporary.

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

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

About 24 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

45 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: 1. Age ≥45 years and ≤65 years 2. Able to comply with study requirements including presenting for each test session following an overnight fast and not following a ketogenic diet during the duration of the study. 3. BMI between 18.5 and 30 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: 1. Non-English Speaking 2. Currently taking a ketone ester supplement, ketone salt supplement, or on a ketogenic diet 3. Pregnancy, a urine pregnancy test will be given to all women before scanning to confirm nonpregnant status 4. Currently breastfeeding 5. Allergies to components in the test products, including milk protein, and not lactose intolerant 6. History of high blood pressure 7. History of alcoholism (previous 2 years) 8. History of illicit drug use 9. History of head trauma involving loss of consciousness or skull fracture 10. Diagnosed neurological disease 11. Taking psychiatric prescriptive medications (antipsychotics, antidepressants, or barbiturates) or over-the-counter (OTC) medications (other than those taken as nutritional supplements for non-therapeutic indications) 12. Current smoker 13. Currently consuming a habitual ketogenic diet, or was consuming a habitual ketogenic diet in the past three months 14. Any condition or material in the body that is a contraindication for MRI procedures

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Brain health

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • The Ohio State University

    RECRUITING

    Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

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