Aniracetam (Draganon, Sarpul, Ampamet) is a
nootropicNootropics, also referred to as smart drugs, memory enhancers, and cognitive enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that are purported to improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration. The word nootropic...
compound of the
racetamRacetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidone nucleus.-Mechanism:There is no generally accepted mechanism for racetams. They generally show no affinity for the most important receptors, although modulation of most important central neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and...
family purported to be considerably more potent than
piracetamPiracetam is a nootropic drug. It appears to enhance cognition and memory, slow brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and ameliorate Alzheimer's, Down's syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among other diseases and conditions...
. It is lipid soluble and has possible cognition enhancing effects. It has been tested in animals extensively,
Alzheimer'sAlzheimer's disease , also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia. This incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was...
patients and temporarily-impaired healthy subjects. It has shown potential as an
anxiolyticAn anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of symptoms of anxiety. Anxiolytics have been shown to be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders, as have antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors .Though not anxiolytics, beta-receptor blockers such as propranolol and...
in three clinical animal models. Sold in the US as a dietary supplement while used in Europe as a prescription drug.
Aniracetam is an
ampakineAmpakines are a new class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory. The ampakines take their name from the glutamatergic AMPA receptor with which they strongly interact...
class Nootropic.
After a confirmed test of the anxiolytic efficacy in a mouse model, receptor antagonists
haloperidolHaloperidol is a typical antipsychotic. It is in the butyrophenone class of antipsychotic medications and has pharmacological effects similar to the phenothiazines....
,
mecamylamineMecamylamine is a voltage dependent non-competitive antagonist at nicotinic receptors. It is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and crosses the blood-brain barrier.-Uses:...
, and
ketanserinKetanserin is drug with affinity for multiple GPCR receptors. Initially it was believed to be a highly selective antagonist for serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, however this not true. Ketanserin only has weak selectivity for 5-HT2A receptors over 5-HT2C receptors...
were applied.
Aniracetam (Draganon, Sarpul, Ampamet) is a
nootropicNootropics, also referred to as smart drugs, memory enhancers, and cognitive enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that are purported to improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration. The word nootropic...
compound of the
racetamRacetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidone nucleus.-Mechanism:There is no generally accepted mechanism for racetams. They generally show no affinity for the most important receptors, although modulation of most important central neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and...
family purported to be considerably more potent than
piracetamPiracetam is a nootropic drug. It appears to enhance cognition and memory, slow brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and ameliorate Alzheimer's, Down's syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among other diseases and conditions...
. It is lipid soluble and has possible cognition enhancing effects. It has been tested in animals extensively,
Alzheimer'sAlzheimer's disease , also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia. This incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was...
patients and temporarily-impaired healthy subjects. It has shown potential as an
anxiolyticAn anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of symptoms of anxiety. Anxiolytics have been shown to be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders, as have antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors .Though not anxiolytics, beta-receptor blockers such as propranolol and...
in three clinical animal models. Sold in the US as a dietary supplement while used in Europe as a prescription drug.
Aniracetam is an
ampakineAmpakines are a new class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory. The ampakines take their name from the glutamatergic AMPA receptor with which they strongly interact...
class Nootropic.
Pharmacology
After a confirmed test of the anxiolytic efficacy in a mouse model, receptor antagonists
haloperidolHaloperidol is a typical antipsychotic. It is in the butyrophenone class of antipsychotic medications and has pharmacological effects similar to the phenothiazines....
,
mecamylamineMecamylamine is a voltage dependent non-competitive antagonist at nicotinic receptors. It is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and crosses the blood-brain barrier.-Uses:...
, and
ketanserinKetanserin is drug with affinity for multiple GPCR receptors. Initially it was believed to be a highly selective antagonist for serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, however this not true. Ketanserin only has weak selectivity for 5-HT2A receptors over 5-HT2C receptors...
were applied. Haloperidol completely reversed the anxiolytic effects, and mecamylamine and ketanserin nearly completely reversed the effects. This shows that aniracetam's anxiolytic mechanism is facilitated by D2/D3 dopamine, nicotinic acetylcholine, and 5-HT2A receptors.
Aniracetam has also been shown to selectively modulate the AMPA glutamate receptor and was used as the parent compound to derive a class of drugs known as the
ampakineAmpakines are a new class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory. The ampakines take their name from the glutamatergic AMPA receptor with which they strongly interact...
s which are being investigated as nootropics and neuroprotective drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
1
Despite the fat solubility of aniracetam its half-life is much shorter than common
racetamRacetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidone nucleus.-Mechanism:There is no generally accepted mechanism for racetams. They generally show no affinity for the most important receptors, although modulation of most important central neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and...
analogs such as
PiracetamPiracetam is a nootropic drug. It appears to enhance cognition and memory, slow brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and ameliorate Alzheimer's, Down's syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among other diseases and conditions...
.
Commonly used doses are 750-3,000 mg daily usually taken in 2-3 doses.
Side effects can include nausea and headache.