Aniracetam

Summary (The Good, The Bad, and all other Essential Benefits/Effects/Facts Information)

Aniracetam is a compound in the group of Racetams due to its common pyrrolidone structure. It is one of the more common Racetamic structures. It is fat-soluble and thus needs to be ingested with fatty acids. Additionally, Aniracetam is Cholinergic

Aniracetam acts as a positive modulator of some excitatory receptors known as AMPA receptors and decreases the rate of receptor desensitization. This typically manifests as a controlled and prolonged neurological stimulation effect. Since AMPA receptors differ in structure across the brain, different AMPA modulators affect the brain in different ways.

Anecdotally, Aniracetam has been know to aid in 'collective and holistic thinking', or putting the pieces of the puzzle together. It also increases blood flow and activity in the area of the brain known for this action, the association cortex.

Aniracetam, as an AMPA modulator, is currently being studied for usage in depression and other CNS disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Also Known As

1-p-anasoyl-2-pyrrilidinone, Ro 13-5057, CAS 72432-10-1, 1(4-methoxybenzoyl)-2-pyrrolidinone

Is a Form of

• Racetams
• Nootropic

Goes Well With

• Cholinergic

Does Not Go Well With

• Fat-blockers (due to fat solubility)

How to Take (recommended dosage, active amounts, other details)

Doses between 10mg/kg bodyweight and 100mg/kg bodyweight have been used in rats with efficacy in laboratory settings, suggesting high variability of the range of efficacy. However, there is a lack of evidence to suggest that this extrapolates well to humans.

Limited human trials suggest a dose of 1000-1500mg, taken with food. Doses as low as 400mg have shown rises in blood levels.

It is common practise to use Aniracetam with a Cholinergic compound.

Things to Note

• Aniracetam is known anecdotally to be stimulatory, however it's effects are unlike Caffeine stimulation.

• Aniracetam is fat-soluble, however it appears to be taken up even in a fasted state. Food does not appear to be needed.

• Aniracetam has a highly bitter taste to the powder

Caution Notice (just some FYI - if needed)

As is the nature of dissecting a brain, the majority of the studies on Aniracetam have been done in laboratory animals such as mice and monkeys. Extrapolation is used in many cases when applied to humans, which is an unavoidable consequence since cellular studies would require taking brain tissue out of a living human.

Detailed Summary

Edit1. Overview

1.1. Structure

Aniracetam is a pyrrolidinone compound of the racetam family.^[1]

1.2. Actions on AMPA Receptors

AMPA is one of the three subsets of glutamate (excitatory) receptors, of which the other two are kainate and NMDA (N-methyl-D-Aspartate).^[2][3]

Scientific Support & Reference Citations

References

1. Lee CR, Benfield P. Aniracetam. An overview of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and a review of its therapeutic potential in senile cognitive disorders. Drugs Aging. (1994)
2. Eleore L, et al. Modulation of the glutamatergic receptors (AMPA and NMDA) and of glutamate vesicular transporter 2 in the rat facial nucleus after axotomy. Neuroscience. (2005)
3. Redefining the Classification of AMPA-selectiveIonotropic Glutamate Receptors

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2012 10:13:04