Could your kitchen stove be fogging your brain?
NCT ID NCT07311967
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will test whether tiny particles released during cooking (like frying and grilling) can temporarily affect memory and lung function. Fifteen healthy adults will spend two separate 6-hour sessions in a special room: one with clean air and one with typical cooking fumes. Researchers will measure changes in verbal memory, processing speed, and peak airflow to see if cooking emissions have short-term health effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Exposure to cooking-generated ultrafine particles and gases
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could show that everyday cooking fumes temporarily affect memory and breathing, pointing toward ways to reduce indoor air pollution risks.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study (15 people) that only looks at short-term effects in a lab. Real-world cooking may differ, and the results may not apply to everyone.
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 15 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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.
- 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 Adults 18 years of age or older Able to understand and speak English sufficiently to complete cognitive testing Able and willing to complete two consecutive study sessions lasting approximately 6 hours each Able to avoid cooking, toasting, and fume-generating household activities (e.g., strong cleaning products, ironing, hair drying) for 24 hours before each session Able to avoid tobacco, marijuana, vaping, and alcohol use as specified in the study protocol Able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria Younger than 18 years old Pregnant or planning pregnancy during study participation Current smoking or use of: Cigarettes E-cigarettes or vaping devices Marijuana Shisha/hookah Binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, or inability to abstain from alcohol for 24 hours before study visits Restaurant chefs or individuals who perform frequent commercial-level cooking Individuals who cook two or more frying or grilling meals per day at home Cooking anxiety or mageirocophobia Any diagnosed neurological disease, including stroke, seizure disorder, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, dementia, or similar conditions Any significant respiratory disease, including: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Untreated severe asthma Chronic bronchitis or other major lung disease Any significant psychiatric condition, including: Schizophrenia spectrum disorder Untreated substance use disorder Severe mood disorder Severe anxiety disorder Claustrophobia or anxiety in enclosed spaces (if severe enough to interfere with chamber procedures) Inability to comply with study procedures or safety requirements Any medical or psychological condition that, in the judgement of the investigators, may increase risk or interfere with study participation
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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UIC
Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
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