Effects of exogenous ketones on brain energy and thinking in older adults with prediabetes

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study compares older adults with prediabetes to age-matched controls with normal glucose regulation to see if brain glucose uptake and cognitive speed differ. It tests a single dose of a ketone monoester versus placebo to see if brain energy use and processing speed improve after dosing. Participants undergo neuroimaging (PET and MRI) and metabolic testing to measure brain energetics and performance on cognitive tasks. The trial aims to understand early brain changes linked to metabolic dysfunction and whether ketone support could mitigate them.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 60 to 75 years
* Able to provide written informed consent
* Fluent in English
* No diagnosed cognitive impairment or dementia

Classified as either:

* Prediabetes (based on American Diabetes Association criteria), or Normal glucose regulation (control group)
* Medically stable and cleared to undergo positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
* Willing to comply with study procedures, including metabolic testing, supplement ingestion, and neuroimaging

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or other neurodegenerative disorder
* Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes
* Use of glucose-lowering medications (e.g., insulin, metformin, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists)
* History of major neurological disorder (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness \>30 minutes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis)
* Major psychiatric disorder not stable on treatment
* Uncontrolled hypertension or significant cardiovascular disease
* Severe renal, hepatic, or gastrointestinal disease that may affect supplement metabolism
* Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (e.g., non-compatible implanted devices, severe claustrophobia)

Where it's running

• UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
  Birmingham, Alabama, United States Recruiting
• Webb Nutrition Sciences Building
  Birmingham, Alabama, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Katherine Sweatt, PhD
• Email: sksweatt@uab.edu
• Phone: 205-975-5398

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.