Ketone supplements vs. alcohol: what happens inside your brain?
NCT ID NCT06815237
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how a single dose of a ketone supplement or an alcoholic drink changes brain metabolism compared to no drink. Sixty healthy adults who drink occasionally will have three MRI scans after each condition. The goal is to measure brain chemicals like NAD, glutamate, and GABA, not to treat any disease.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ketone supplement (D-Beta-hydroxybutyric acid and R-1,3 butanediol) and alcohol beverage
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help scientists understand how ketones and alcohol change brain chemistry, possibly guiding future research on brain health.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 60 participants, looking at short-term effects. Results may not apply to long-term use or to people with health conditions.
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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Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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May 2029
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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21 to 65 years
- 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: 1. Able to provide written informed consent and commit to completing study procedures. 2. Reported on at least one day in the month before consent of consuming 2 or more standard alcoholic drinks on a single day. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Unwilling or unable to refrain from the use of psychoactive medications, medication that may affect study results, and or alcohol, within 24 hours of the Alcohol lab, and MRI procedures (self-report, medical history, UDS, and breathalyzer). 2. Current DSM-5 diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder (other than marijuana and nicotine use disorders) as identified by clinical examination or structured interview that could interfere with study participation or make it hazardous for the subject. 3. Currently taking a medication that could interfere with study participation or make it hazardous for the subject to participate. (e.g., anticholinergics; antipsychotics; psychotropic drugs not otherwise specified) 4. Positive urine drug screen positive for all substances but marijuana on study visits (may be repeated once and if the result is negative on repeat it is not exclusionary). 5. A current, clinically significant physical disease or abnormality on the basis of medical history, physical examination, or routine laboratory evaluation that could interfere with study participation or make it hazardous for the subject to do so (e.g., bleeding disorder, pancreatitis, epilepsy, liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes as determined by history and clinical exam); ALAT or ASAT concentration greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), or bilirubin above the ULN. (Note-abnormal laboratory tests during screening may be repeated once). 6. Current, major gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, such as: GERD, Crohn's disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Ulcerative colitis, Celiac disease Diverticulitis, or other clinically significant physical disease that may interfere with the intake of the Ketone Supplement based on medical history, and evaluation of the Study Physician. 7. Head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes (self-report, medical history). 8. Pregnant or breast-feeding 9. Weight greater than 250lbs (Need to cap amount of alcohol give based on weight to individuals). 10. Self-reported claustrophobia 11. Contraindications to MRI (e.g., metal in the body that cannot be removed and is not MRI compatible).
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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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Center for Studies of Addiction
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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