CognitionNCT07752329
Investigation on the Chronic Effects of Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) on Cognitive Function, Mood and Gaming Performance in Young, Healthy, Action Video Gamers
A study testing Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg in people with Cognition and Mood, run by Northumbria University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily supplementation with a Nepalese Pepper Extract (Zanthoxylum Armatum, ZA) can improve cognitive performance and gaming performance in action video gamers aged 16 to 39, when taken over an extended period. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 to 39 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cognition, Mood, Gaming Performance
- What is being tested?
- Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 20 Aug 2026to Sep 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 16 to 39 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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).
Who cannot join
- 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
Show all 21Show fewer
- 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site
Northumbria University - Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre
Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST
Philippa A Jackson, PhD, 01912274468, philippa.jackson@northumbria.ac.uk
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily supplementation with a Nepalese Pepper Extract (Zanthoxylum Armatum, ZA) can improve cognitive performance and gaming performance in action video gamers aged 16 to 39, when taken over an extended period. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does chronic (42-day) daily ZA supplementation improve speed of cognitive performance and reduce subjective mental fatigue? Do these effects translate into objective and self-reported improvements in gaming performance? Are there additional acute (within-session) effects at the end of a chronic supplementation period, on top of any chronic effect?
Read more
Researchers will compare 275mg daily ZA supplementation to placebo to see if chronic ZA produces better cognitive performance and lower fatigue than placebo. Participants will:
Complete a screening call and a training visit on the computerised cognitive tasks and gaming tasks Take a daily capsule (either ZA or placebo, depending on treatment order) each morning with food for 42 days, then switch to the other treatment for a further 42 days after a 2-week washout Attend four testing visits at the research centre: a baseline and an endpoint visit for each 42-day treatment period Avoid alcohol and energy drinks for 24 hours before each testing visit, and caffeine from waking Complete cognitive tests before dosing and 1 hour after dosing at each testing visit Complete mood and sleep questionnaires Wear a heart rate monitor at rest on arrival at each visit Complete gaming-specific tasks (aim training, MOBA character control, multi-tasking, finger tapping, Fitts' Law, multiple object tracking, collision prediction) Play their action video game of choice at home throughout each 42-day period and complete performance questionnaires
Read the detailed description
Zanthoxylum armatum DC (ZA), also known as Nepalese pepper, contains numerous active chemicals throughout all parts of the organism. Traditionally used in the treatment of intestinal disorders, depression and as topical treatment for toothache, it is commonly ingested through the form of Daikenchuto, a traditional combination of the Zanthoxylum fruit with ginseng root, ginger rhizome and rice gluten. In recent years it has been established that ZA also possesses cognitive enhancing properties, with the primary active component revealed to be the fatty acid amide hydroxy α-sanshool. Additionally, ZA is rich in monoterpenes which have also been shown to positively affect cognition, and the combination of these compounds may lead to numerous improvements in brain function.
Through a double-blind placebo-controlled study, acute single dose administration of 80mg of ZA was shown to improve cognitive performance in 'Speed of Attention' and Rapid Visual Information Processing, a sustained attention task. In the same study, chronic (56 day) administration resulted in overall improvement in 'Speed of Performance', with more correct Serial 3 subtractions 3h post dose and lower mental fatigue compared to placebo during performance of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB). In both acute and chronic cases, the mechanisms underpinning the effects are currently unknown. For the acute effects there may be a cholinergic mechanism at play, with previous research suggesting a cholinesterase inhibitory effect from ZA. Meanwhile, the observed chronic improvements suggest a more general improvement in neural efficiency and processing speeds rather than the memory/attention benefits generally expected from cholinergic agents.
An increasing area of interest for performance research is in the world of Esports and competitive gaming, where cognitive abilities are paramount. Esport competition incurs physical and mental demands, including motor skills, mental agility, processing speed, motivation, executive function and, to a lower degree, physical exertion. Success hinges on mastering cognitive tasks such as visuospatial processing, cognitive workload, attention and cognitive control, hand-eye coordination, fast reaction times and quick decision-making. Within esports, viewership is overwhelmingly dominated by Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBA) and First Person Shooters (FPS); despite sharing a similarly fast-paced, high-intensity element, the contrast in player character control mechanisms between these genres creates distinct performance metrics, meaning studies analysing game performance across genres should incorporate genre-specific measurement tools.
One aspect common to all esports players is the prolonged nature of training and gameplay, requiring sustained attention and resulting in high mental demand and fatigue. Energy drink consumption is high within gamers, and an emerging area of research considers the potential to enhance gaming performance via various nootropics, primarily highly caffeinated products. However, the high caffeine content in these products is linked to undesirable side effects including jitteriness, tension, and decreased sleep duration and quality, which can negatively impact both short- and long-term gaming performance. As gaming becomes a more viable career, gamers are likely to seek healthier alternatives, sparking interest in non-caffeinated options to combat mental fatigue and enhance gaming performance.
The previous acute study conducted by our group (53BS2) administered single doses of 150mg and 300mg of a powdered ZA formulation (SaraPepp™ Nu) to assess acute cognitive and mood effects against placebo and caffeine. The main aim of the current study is to investigate the chronic cognitive and mood effects of 275mg ZA administered daily over 42 days in young, healthy action video gamers, building on the chronic findings of Kennedy et al. (2019), in which 56-day ZA administration improved 'Speed of Performance' and reduced subjective mental fatigue relative to placebo. A crossover design with a 2-week washout period will allow for within-participant comparisons while controlling for individual differences. Additional aims include ascertaining whether chronic cognitive improvements translate into objective and subjective in-game performance improvements, deepening understanding of how action video game genres present differing cognitive gameplay requirements, and developing robust methods of assessing gameplay performance over an extended supplementation period.
Primary objectives
The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the chronic effects of 275mg daily ZA supplementation within a young, healthy population, with focus on:
- Speed of Performance (Serial 3 subtractions, SRT, CRT, Numeric Working Memory, RVIP, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Subjective fatigue (CDB)
These were the areas of improvement ascertained under chronic supplementation by Kennedy et al. (2019), and these results will be tested for replicability. Participants will be tested using computerised cognitive tasks (COMPASS) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, with assessments at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose at both the baseline and endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Secondary objectives
The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate other cognitive areas where no significant changes were revealed in the previous study, to test for replication and see if any other changes appear. These include:
- Accuracy of Attention (RVIP and CRT)
- Speed of Attention (RVIP, SRT and CRT)
- Accuracy of Performance (Immediate Word Recall, CRT, Corsi Blocks, RVIP, Stroop, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Working memory (Numeric Working Memory, Corsi Blocks)
- Speed of memory (Numeric Working Memory, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Episodic memory (Immediate Word Recall, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Executive Function (Peg and Ball, Stroop interference)
To fulfil these objectives, the full battery of COMPASS tasks will be tested at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose on each testing visit, under both treatment conditions.
In addition, subjective alertness and mental fatigue will be assessed following each of 3 completions of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB), a 10-minute battery of tasks completed three times in immediate succession (30 minutes continuous). In addition to this, mood and sleep will also be recorded on testing visits through the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS), and the sleep disturbance short form (PROMIS). Heart Rate Variability will also be assessed at rest upon arrival at each testing visit, prior to task performance or supplementation.
Further secondary objectives are to implement gaming tests to assess if any differences can be observed in gameplay-related outcomes following treatment. These include: an aim trainer (Aim Labs), a Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) control simulator, a Multi-Tasking Framework (MTF), a Finger Tapping Task (FTT), a Fitts' Law Task (visuomotor speed-accuracy trade-off), a Multiple Object Tracking Task (MOT; divided visual attention), and a Collision Prediction Task (anticipation and trajectory prediction).
In addition to this, gameplay monitoring of at-home play will be implemented as a secondary outcome measure to assess real-world gameplay ability across the 42-day supplementation period, via the Subjective Performance Gameplay Scale and gameplay tracking where possible.
Investigational plan
This study follows a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design with two treatment arms (275mg ZA, Placebo). Participants attend the lab on five occasions: a screening/training visit, two baseline testing visits, and two endpoint testing visits, following the structure Baseline 1 → 42-day supplementation → Endpoint 1 → 14-day washout → Baseline 2 → 42-day supplementation → Endpoint 2. Total study duration is approximately 20 weeks per participant. A total sample of 70 participants will be recruited.
- Conditions
- Cognition, Mood, Gaming Performance, Fatigue
- Being tested
- Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg, Placebo
- Keywords
- Cognition, Mood, Gaming, Performance, Esports, Nepalese Pepper, Timut Pepper, Zanthoxylum Armatum, Fatigue, Chronic Supplementation
- Medical subject headings
- Fatigue
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mgDietary supplement
Also called Timut Pepper, SaraPepp™ Nu
The intervention is a powdered form of Zanthoxylum Armatum (ZA) extract (SaraPepp™ Nu) delivered in capsule form, taken once daily with food for a 42-day supplementation period. The dosage is 275mg.
PlaceboDietary supplement
Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC), delivered in capsule form, taken once daily for a 42-day supplementation period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ZA 275mg | Experimental | 275mg daily dosage of Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum) extract (SaraPepp™ Nu) in capsule form, taken once daily for 42 days, to measure chronic effects on cognition, mood and gaming performance. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Inert placebo, Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC), delivered in capsule form, taken once daily each morning with food for 42 days. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Subjective Fatigue
Self-assessed fatigue level following each of three completions of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB).
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Speed of Performance
Composite outcome derived from combined performance on Serial 3 Subtractions, Simple Reaction Time, Choice Reaction Time, Numeric Working Memory, RVIP, Delayed Picture Recognition, and Delayed Word Recognition tasks from the COMPASS battery.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Secondary outcomes (18)
Accuracy of Attention
Score calculated through combined performance on Rapid Visual Information Processing, RVIP, and Choice Reaction Time tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Speed of Attention
Score calculated through combined performance on Rapid Visual Information Processing, Simple Reaction Time, and Choice Reaction Time tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Accuracy of Performance
Score calculated through combined performance on Immediate Word Recall, Choice Reaction Time, Corsi Blocks, Stroop, RVIP, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, and Delayed Word Recognition.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Working Memory
Score calculated through combined performance on Numeric Working Memory and Corsi Blocks tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Speed of Memory
Score calculated through combined performance on Numeric Working Memory, Delayed Picture Recognition, and Delayed Word Recognition tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Episodic Memory
Score calculated through combined performance on Immediate Word Recall, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, and Delayed Word Recognition tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Executive Function
Score calculated through performance on Peg and Ball and Stroop interference tasks.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Mood
Mood rating calculated through answers to the Visual Analogue Mood Scales and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Sleep Disturbance
Sleep disturbance score calculated through the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Short Form (8 items, range 8-40, higher scores indicating greater disturbance).
Measured: Assessed on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
HRV recorded via a 5-minute resting ECG using Biopac research rings, following 5 minutes of seated rest, prior to any task performance or supplementation.
Measured: Assessed at rest upon arrival, prior to task performance or supplementation, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
First Person Shooter Aiming Ability
Aiming performance with a mouse measured through accuracy percentage and reaction time across five Aim Labs challenges (Spidershot, Motionshot, Gridshot, CircleShot, WallPeek).
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
MOBA Control Ability
Measure of character control ability using a custom MOBA-style game, indexed by in-game score, reaction time, accuracy, targets hit, distance travelled, and click patterns.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Multi-Tasking Ability
Multi-tasking ability measured through Multi-Tasking Framework score.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Finger Tapping Task
Number of finger taps completed in 10 seconds.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Fitts' Law Task
Visuomotor speed-accuracy trade-off measured through throughput (bits/second; effective index of difficulty divided by movement time, averaged as a mean of condition means), with slope and intercept of the movement-time-on-ID regression as secondary parameters.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Multiple Object Tracking Task
Divided visual attention measured through threshold tracking speed, estimated via a staircase procedure.
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Collision Prediction Task
Anticipation and trajectory prediction measured through spatial prediction error (Euclidean distance between click position and true collision point, in pixels) and temporal prediction error (absolute deviation between click timing and true collision time, in milliseconds).
Measured: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Subjective Gameplay Performance
Subjective Performance Gameplay Scale self-report, completed by participants following evening gameplay sessions.
Measured: At home, periodically throughout each 42-day supplementation period, following gameplay sessions.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Aug 2026
- Study start20 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CognitionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm crossover design with a 2-week washout period separating the two 42-day treatment arms.
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northumbria University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Solabia Biochemistry AG
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07752329
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 53BS3
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 7 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigation on the Chronic Effects of Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) on Cognitive Function, Mood and Gaming Performance in Young, Healthy, Action Video Gamers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07752329
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 53BS3
- Conditions
- Cognition, Mood, Gaming Performance, Fatigue
- Keywords
- Cognition, Mood, Gaming, Performance, Esports, Nepalese Pepper, Timut Pepper, Zanthoxylum Armatum
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Northumbria UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Solabia Biochemistry AG
- Study start
- 20 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily supplementation with a Nepalese Pepper Extract (Zanthoxylum Armatum, ZA) can improve cognitive performance and gaming performance in action video gamers aged 16 to 39, when taken over an extended period. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does chronic (42-day) daily ZA supplementation improve speed of cognitive performance and reduce subjective mental fatigue? Do these effects translate into objective and self-reported improvements in gaming performance? Are there additional acute (within-session) effects at the end of a chronic supplementation period, on top of any chronic effect?
Researchers will compare 275mg daily ZA supplementation to placebo to see if chronic ZA produces better cognitive performance and lower fatigue than placebo. Participants will:
Complete a screening call and a training visit on the computerised cognitive tasks and gaming tasks Take a daily capsule (either ZA or placebo, depending on treatment order) each morning with food for 42 days, then switch to the other treatment for a further 42 days after a 2-week washout Attend four testing visits at the research centre: a baseline and an endpoint visit for each 42-day treatment period Avoid alcohol and energy drinks for 24 hours before each testing visit, and caffeine from waking Complete cognitive tests before dosing and 1 hour after dosing at each testing visit Complete mood and sleep questionnaires Wear a heart rate monitor at rest on arrival at each visit Complete gaming-specific tasks (aim training, MOBA character control, multi-tasking, finger tapping, Fitts' Law, multiple object tracking, collision prediction) Play their action video game of choice at home throughout each 42-day period and complete performance questionnaires
Detailed description
Zanthoxylum armatum DC (ZA), also known as Nepalese pepper, contains numerous active chemicals throughout all parts of the organism. Traditionally used in the treatment of intestinal disorders, depression and as topical treatment for toothache, it is commonly ingested through the form of Daikenchuto, a traditional combination of the Zanthoxylum fruit with ginseng root, ginger rhizome and rice gluten. In recent years it has been established that ZA also possesses cognitive enhancing properties, with the primary active component revealed to be the fatty acid amide hydroxy α-sanshool. Additionally, ZA is rich in monoterpenes which have also been shown to positively affect cognition, and the combination of these compounds may lead to numerous improvements in brain function.
Through a double-blind placebo-controlled study, acute single dose administration of 80mg of ZA was shown to improve cognitive performance in 'Speed of Attention' and Rapid Visual Information Processing, a sustained attention task. In the same study, chronic (56 day) administration resulted in overall improvement in 'Speed of Performance', with more correct Serial 3 subtractions 3h post dose and lower mental fatigue compared to placebo during performance of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB). In both acute and chronic cases, the mechanisms underpinning the effects are currently unknown. For the acute effects there may be a cholinergic mechanism at play, with previous research suggesting a cholinesterase inhibitory effect from ZA. Meanwhile, the observed chronic improvements suggest a more general improvement in neural efficiency and processing speeds rather than the memory/attention benefits generally expected from cholinergic agents.
An increasing area of interest for performance research is in the world of Esports and competitive gaming, where cognitive abilities are paramount. Esport competition incurs physical and mental demands, including motor skills, mental agility, processing speed, motivation, executive function and, to a lower degree, physical exertion. Success hinges on mastering cognitive tasks such as visuospatial processing, cognitive workload, attention and cognitive control, hand-eye coordination, fast reaction times and quick decision-making. Within esports, viewership is overwhelmingly dominated by Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBA) and First Person Shooters (FPS); despite sharing a similarly fast-paced, high-intensity element, the contrast in player character control mechanisms between these genres creates distinct performance metrics, meaning studies analysing game performance across genres should incorporate genre-specific measurement tools.
One aspect common to all esports players is the prolonged nature of training and gameplay, requiring sustained attention and resulting in high mental demand and fatigue. Energy drink consumption is high within gamers, and an emerging area of research considers the potential to enhance gaming performance via various nootropics, primarily highly caffeinated products. However, the high caffeine content in these products is linked to undesirable side effects including jitteriness, tension, and decreased sleep duration and quality, which can negatively impact both short- and long-term gaming performance. As gaming becomes a more viable career, gamers are likely to seek healthier alternatives, sparking interest in non-caffeinated options to combat mental fatigue and enhance gaming performance.
The previous acute study conducted by our group (53BS2) administered single doses of 150mg and 300mg of a powdered ZA formulation (SaraPepp™ Nu) to assess acute cognitive and mood effects against placebo and caffeine. The main aim of the current study is to investigate the chronic cognitive and mood effects of 275mg ZA administered daily over 42 days in young, healthy action video gamers, building on the chronic findings of Kennedy et al. (2019), in which 56-day ZA administration improved 'Speed of Performance' and reduced subjective mental fatigue relative to placebo. A crossover design with a 2-week washout period will allow for within-participant comparisons while controlling for individual differences. Additional aims include ascertaining whether chronic cognitive improvements translate into objective and subjective in-game performance improvements, deepening understanding of how action video game genres present differing cognitive gameplay requirements, and developing robust methods of assessing gameplay performance over an extended supplementation period.
Primary objectives
The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the chronic effects of 275mg daily ZA supplementation within a young, healthy population, with focus on:
- Speed of Performance (Serial 3 subtractions, SRT, CRT, Numeric Working Memory, RVIP, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Subjective fatigue (CDB)
These were the areas of improvement ascertained under chronic supplementation by Kennedy et al. (2019), and these results will be tested for replicability. Participants will be tested using computerised cognitive tasks (COMPASS) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, with assessments at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose at both the baseline and endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Secondary objectives
The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate other cognitive areas where no significant changes were revealed in the previous study, to test for replication and see if any other changes appear. These include:
- Accuracy of Attention (RVIP and CRT)
- Speed of Attention (RVIP, SRT and CRT)
- Accuracy of Performance (Immediate Word Recall, CRT, Corsi Blocks, RVIP, Stroop, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Working memory (Numeric Working Memory, Corsi Blocks)
- Speed of memory (Numeric Working Memory, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Episodic memory (Immediate Word Recall, Delayed Word Recall, Delayed Picture Recognition, Delayed Word Recognition)
- Executive Function (Peg and Ball, Stroop interference)
To fulfil these objectives, the full battery of COMPASS tasks will be tested at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose on each testing visit, under both treatment conditions.
In addition, subjective alertness and mental fatigue will be assessed following each of 3 completions of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB), a 10-minute battery of tasks completed three times in immediate succession (30 minutes continuous). In addition to this, mood and sleep will also be recorded on testing visits through the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS), and the sleep disturbance short form (PROMIS). Heart Rate Variability will also be assessed at rest upon arrival at each testing visit, prior to task performance or supplementation.
Further secondary objectives are to implement gaming tests to assess if any differences can be observed in gameplay-related outcomes following treatment. These include: an aim trainer (Aim Labs), a Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) control simulator, a Multi-Tasking Framework (MTF), a Finger Tapping Task (FTT), a Fitts' Law Task (visuomotor speed-accuracy trade-off), a Multiple Object Tracking Task (MOT; divided visual attention), and a Collision Prediction Task (anticipation and trajectory prediction).
In addition to this, gameplay monitoring of at-home play will be implemented as a secondary outcome measure to assess real-world gameplay ability across the 42-day supplementation period, via the Subjective Performance Gameplay Scale and gameplay tracking where possible.
Investigational plan
This study follows a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design with two treatment arms (275mg ZA, Placebo). Participants attend the lab on five occasions: a screening/training visit, two baseline testing visits, and two endpoint testing visits, following the structure Baseline 1 → 42-day supplementation → Endpoint 1 → 14-day washout → Baseline 2 → 42-day supplementation → Endpoint 2. Total study duration is approximately 20 weeks per participant. A total sample of 70 participants will be recruited.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm crossover design with a 2-week washout period separating the two 42-day treatment arms.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ZA 275mg | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg275mg daily dosage of Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum) extract (SaraPepp™ Nu) in capsule form, taken once daily for 42 days, to measure chronic effects on cognition, mood and gaming performance. |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Dietary Supplement: PlaceboInert placebo, Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC), delivered in capsule form, taken once daily each morning with food for 42 days. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 to 39 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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).
Key exclusion criteria (21 listed)
- 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
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mgAlso: Timut Pepper, SaraPepp™ NuThe intervention is a powdered form of Zanthoxylum Armatum (ZA) extract (SaraPepp™ Nu) delivered in capsule form, taken once daily with food for a 42-day supplementation period. The dosage is 275mg. | Dietary supplement | ZA 275mg |
| PlaceboMicrocrystalline Cellulose (MCC), delivered in capsule form, taken once daily for a 42-day supplementation period. | Dietary supplement | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Subjective Fatigue
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Self-assessed fatigue level following each of three completions of the Cognitive Demand Battery (CDB).
Speed of Performance
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Composite outcome derived from combined performance on Serial 3 Subtractions, Simple Reaction Time, Choice Reaction Time, Numeric Working Memory, RVIP, Delayed Picture Recognition, and Delayed Word Recognition tasks from the COMPASS battery.
18 secondary outcomes
Accuracy of Attention
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Speed of Attention
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Accuracy of Performance
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Working Memory
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Speed of Memory
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Episodic Memory
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Executive Function
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Mood
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Sleep Disturbance
Time frame: Assessed on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time frame: Assessed at rest upon arrival, prior to task performance or supplementation, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
First Person Shooter Aiming Ability
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
MOBA Control Ability
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Multi-Tasking Ability
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Finger Tapping Task
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Fitts' Law Task
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Multiple Object Tracking Task
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Collision Prediction Task
Time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.
Subjective Gameplay Performance
Time frame: At home, periodically throughout each 42-day supplementation period, following gameplay sessions.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Aug 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Nepalese Pepper (Zanthoxylum Armatum DC) extract 275mg in people with Cognition and Mood, run by Northumbria University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 21 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Philippa A Jackson, PhD (01912274468, philippa.jackson@northumbria.ac.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Subjective Fatigue (time frame: Assessed at pre-dose baseline and 1hr post-dose, on the Baseline and Endpoint visit of each 42-day treatment arm.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Aug 2026.