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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07135193

Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Cordyceps Cicadae on Visual Function and Anti-Fatigue Performance in Esports Athletes

The objective of this study is to evaluate, through a clinical human consumption trial, the effects of taking two capsules (each containing 250 mg of Cordyceps cicadae mycelium, for a total intake of 500 mg per dose) of Grape King Cordyceps cicadae mycelium on visual function and anti-fatigue performance in esports athletes.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Visual Acuity Accommodation Dry Eye Dry Eye Syndromes Eye Diseases Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases

Age range

30 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Chung Shan Medical University Hui-Wen Lin lab

Taichung, Taiwan

About this study

This study aims to enroll 12 participants (aged 20-30 years), who are esports players, through oral announcements for recruitment. The anticipated source of participants will be students from the Department of Multimedia Game Development and Applications, Hungkuang University of Science and Technology, second-year and above.

On the day prior to the trial, participants will undergo a baseline ophthalmic examination (serving as the control values). Following the baseline assessment, participants will undergo ophthalmic examinations after 1 hour and 2 hours of esports training, respectively, resulting in a total of three measurements. All data will be recorded in the case report form (CRF).

On the day of the trial, participants will first undergo an ophthalmic examination. After completion, all 12 participants will be randomly allocated into groups using the QuickCalcs randomization tool (GraphPad Software, https://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/randomize1/). Based on the random allocation, capsule packages labeled with codes 001 to 012 will be prepared, containing either the investigational product or placebo. Each package will be distributed to the corresponding participant. Of the 12 participants, 3 will be assigned to the placebo group, and 9 will be assigned to the Cordyceps cicadae mycelium group.

Participants will undergo ophthalmic examinations at 1 hour and 2 hours post-administration, and the results will be recorded in the CRF.

The investigational product will be in capsule form, containing Cordyceps cicadae mycelium (250 mg per capsule) and excipients, with no other additives. The placebo will have the same excipients and capsule composition, except without the mycelium. Each participant will take a single oral dose on the test day (2 capsules). All investigational products and placebos will be provided by Grape King Bio Ltd.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • People with myopia less than 700 degrees
  • Willing to participate in this study and sign the consent form

Exclusion criteria

  • (1) Those who have recently consumed related eye care products
  • (2) Those who have had eye infections or surgery in the past three months
  • (3) Those who have been diagnosed with eye diseases by an ophthalmologist (such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc., or have undergone eye surgery such as cataract surgery, retinal laser surgery, myopia laser surgery, etc., which will be excluded before accepting the case)
  • (4) Those who are allergic to cicada fungus

Treatment and study plan

Cordyceps cicadae

Dietary Supplement

Cordyceps cicadae 500mg

Blank control

Dietary Supplement

Blank control

Primary outcomes

  1. Tear break-up time

    Time frame: 3 hours

    Tear film break-up time (TBUT) on the corneal surface will be recorded in seconds using corneal topography.

  2. Eye fatigue questionnaire

    Time frame: 3 hours

    The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) was used to assess visual fatigue. The subjects were asked to fill in the questionnaire before and after taking the medicine, and the scores were calculated. Symptoms include eyestrain, discomfort, burning, irritation, pain, soreness, eye pain, double vision, photophobia, blurriness, itching, tearing, dryness, and foreign body sensation

  3. Accommodative Facility

    Time frame: 3 hours

    Use +/- 0.50D flip mirror and special optometry cards to test the number of optometry cards that the patient can read within one minute and record the number of flip cycles.

  4. Visual acuity measurement

    Time frame: 3 hours

    Examinations include (a) distance visual acuity (DVA) and (b) near visual acuity (NVA), recorded using the Snellen chart.

  5. Intraocular Pressure

    Time frame: 3 hours

    The intraocular pressure (IOP) of the subjects was measured by non-contact intraocular pressure measurement in mmHg.

  6. Tear meniscus height (TMH)

    Time frame: 3 hours

    Tear meniscus height (TMH) will be evaluated using slit-lamp biomicroscopy and recorded in millimeters.

  7. Meibomian gland observation

    Time frame: 3 hours

    The meibomian glands will be evaluated using corneal topography to document their morphology, quantity, and size.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

China Medical University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Cordyceps Cicadae on Visual Function and Anti-Fatigue Performance in Esports Athletes: A Prospective Trial

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 21, 2025
Registry last updated
Aug 21, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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