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Nicotinamide Riboside, Vit B3 Analogue, and Brain Energy Metabolism

NCT07649161 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2026-06-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, affects brain energy metabolism in healthy adults. Researchers want to find out if taking NR by mouth for 2 weeks can raise the balance of two related brain chemicals called NAD+ and NADH, which play a key role in how cells make and use energy. The main questions are: Does short term NR treatment increase the NAD+ to NADH ratio in the brain, and does it change other brain energy measures that we can see with a special type of MRI scan called phosphorus 31 MR spectroscopy.

Adults between 18 and 65 years old who are generally healthy and do not have a personal or close family history of mood or psychotic disorders may be able to take part. People who join the study will first have a screening visit with a psychiatric interview and safety checks to confirm they are eligible and to review the risks and procedures. Eligible participants will then have a baseline visit that includes a blood draw, vital signs, urine drug and pregnancy tests when needed, and a 7 Tesla MRI/MRS scan focused on brain chemistry and structure.

After the baseline visit, participants will take NR capsules by mouth at home, 1500 milligrams in the morning and 1500 milligrams in the early afternoon each day, for about 2 weeks, for a total daily dose of 3000 milligrams. They will be asked to avoid alcohol and other drugs during the study and to complete a short food diary near the end of the dosing period so that researchers can track diet. On the last day of taking NR, participants will return for repeat MRI/MRS scans, blood tests, and vital signs so that researchers can compare brain and blood measures before and after NR treatment.

Researchers will compare each participant's brain NAD+ to NADH ratio and other bioenergetic markers before and after NR to see if NR changes these measures in a consistent way. If NR raises brain NAD+ and improves measures of energy metabolism in healthy adults, this may provide important background information for future studies that test whether NR can help people with psychiatric or neurological disorders linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. There is no expected direct health benefit for participants, but their involvement may help improve understanding of how NR affects human brain metabolism.

Conditions

  • Healthy Adult

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Niagen®

Participants will take 3000 mg of nicotinamide riboside (i.e., Niagen) daily for 2 weeks. This will be in the form of six 250 mg capsules in the morning and six 250 mg capsules at night for a total of 12 capsules daily.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-30
Primary Completion
2027-09-30
Completion
2028-01-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07649161 on ClinicalTrials.gov