Some Considerations of Different Modes of Action of Nootropic Drugs

Abstract

Four possible types of nootropic drugs are classified theoretically according to their possible effects on cognitive functions. Among the factors usually varied in psychopharmacological designs, the significance of the time of application of the drug is stressed. Considering the relations between the time of application of nootropic drugs within standardized experimental plans and their effects on cognitive processes, ideal time of application-response curves for each of these types of nootropic compounds are proposed. These curves may represent experimental tools in investigating the mode of action of nootropic drugs. Finally, some experimental results are presented which are relevant to this approach. Overall, however, the rationale of these theoretical considerations remains largely unproven because of the lack of studies to date designed to evaluate the mechanisms of drug action by varying the time of application of a nootropic compound.

Neuropathobiology of Senile Dementia and Mechanism of Action of Nootropic Drugs

“…Thus, the class of nootropics, covers agents of various chemical structures and diverse mechanisms of action which have a common therapeutic profile. Examples include the classical nootropics [piracetam, pyritinol, meclofenoxate (centrophenoxine)], drugs with nootropic components of activity, such as, synthetic ergot derivatives, tacrine and other cholinomimetics, neuropeptides such as the hypophyseal peptide fragment alaptide, and calcium antagonists such as nimodipine (Benesova et al 1991 b;Coper & Herrmann 1988;Coper & Kanowski 1983;Helmchen 1988;Kanowski et al 1989;Moller 1993;Muller 1988a,b;Muller 1990;Sarter 1986;Zimmer et al 1987).…”

Effects of piracetam on learned helplessness in rats

“…Most of these effects were observed in deficient organisms. Nootropic drugs improve learning and memory performances in aged animals [2,25] and in animals subjected to hypoxia, hypercapnia, electroconvulsive shocks, ischemia, amnestics drugs such as scopolamine and antibiotics [3,6,14,21]; similar effects were observed in senile humans and in patients suffering from brain pathologies [9,11,13,16,19,20,24].…”