Could a himalayan pepper sharpen your gaming edge?
NCT ID NCT07752329
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether taking a daily capsule of Nepalese pepper extract (Zanthoxylum armatum) for 42 days can improve cognitive speed, reduce mental fatigue, and enhance gaming performance in healthy young action video gamers aged 16 to 39. Participants will take either the pepper extract or a placebo, then switch after a break, and complete computerised tests and gaming tasks at several visits. The study aims to see if this natural supplement offers a mental boost during demanding activities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Nepalese pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum) extract, 275 mg daily
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a natural supplement to sharpen focus and reduce mental fatigue during demanding tasks like gaming.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with a modest number of participants, so results may not apply broadly. The supplement could also cause side effects or simply have no effect.
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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
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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16 to 39 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: * Aged 16 to 39 years inclusive * Males and females * Self-report of good health * Usually a regular (at least 5 hours per week on average) player of action video games, including but not limited to First-Person Shooters (FPS) and Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBA), (prospective participants will be asked to contact the researchers to discuss their gaming habits if uncertain that they meet the criteria). Exclusion Criteria: * Have any pre-existing medical condition/illness which will impact taking part in the study (i.e. participants may be allowed to progress to screening if they have a condition/illness which would not interact with the active treatments or impede performance). * Are currently taking prescription medications. NOTE: the explicit exceptions to this are contraceptive treatments for female participants, and those taken 'as needed' in the treatment of asthma and hay fever. There may be other instances of medication use which, where no interaction with the active treatments is likely, and which would not be expected to have any impact on brain function, participants may be able to progress to screening. * Have high blood pressure (systolic over 139 mm Hg or diastolic over 89 mm Hg); or have low blood pressure (systolic below 90 mm Hg or diastolic below 60 mm Hg) * Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) outside of the range 18.5-35 kg/m2 * Are pregnant, seeking to become pregnant or lactating * Have learning and/or behavioural diagnoses such as dyslexia or ADHD * Have a visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses (including colour-blindness) * Smoke tobacco or vape nicotine or use nicotine replacement products * Excessive caffeine intake (\> 500 mg per day). If participants consume energy drinks they will be asked to refrain from this for 24 hours prior to attending testing. * Have relevant food intolerances/sensitivities. * Have taken antibiotics within the past 4 weeks * Have taken dietary supplements e.g. Vitamins, omega 3 fish oils etc. in the last 4 weeks (Note: participation is possible following a 4-week supplement washout prior to participating and for the duration of the study on the proviso that the supplements taken are out of choice and not medically prescribed or advised) * Have any health condition that would prevent fulfilment of the study requirements (this includes non-diagnosed conditions for which no medication may be taken) * Are unable to complete all of the study assessments * Are currently participating in other clinical or nutrition intervention studies, or have done so in the past 4 weeks * Has been diagnosed with/ undergoing treatment for alcohol or drug abuse in the last 12 months * Have been diagnosed with/ undergoing treatment for a psychiatric disorder in the last 12 months * Suffers from frequent migraines that require medication (more than or equal to 1 per month) * Sleep disorders or are taking sleep aid medication * Any known active infections * Are non-compliant with regards treatment consumption
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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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Northumbria University - Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre
Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, United Kingdom
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