The nootropic concept and its prospective implications

Abstract

Giurgea, C.E.:The nootropic concept and its prospective implications. Drug. Dev. Res. 2:441-446, 1982.The nootropic concept emerged about 10 years ago essentially from the unusual pharmacology of piracetam, which later on was confirmed and extended to human pharmacoclinics and therapeutics. A nootropic drug is characterized by a direct functional activation of the higher integrative brain mechanisms that enhances cortical vigilance, a telencephalic functional selectivity, and a particular efficiency in restoring deficient higher nervous activity. In contradistinction to other psychotropic drugs, nootropics do not induce direct reticular, limbic, or other subcortical events. Little is known with regard to nootropic, neurochemical mechanisms of action except that they interact with factors that contribute to the neuronal membrane stability, and possibly with the brain 5-HT. Main therapeutical indications seem to be in children with speech disorders, in the posttraumatic, and posthypoxic sequelae, in vertigo of central origin, and in geriatric, moderately impaired, possibly dysmnesic patients. Other drugs, such as pyritinol, meclofenoxate, and, to some extent, hydergine and vincamine, do show partially nootropic activities. The nootropic line of research is by now multifaceted to deepen the neurochemical and neurophysiologic comprehension of nootropics' mode of action; to make clearer their clinical differential profile; to enlarge the nootropic framework to some other existing drugs, clinically if not pharmacologically related to piracetam; and to find new, more potent, and possibly more selective nootropic agents. The general aim of nootropic research is to find new drugs capable of enhancing directly the efficiency of the cognitive, noetic activity of the brain, thus compensating various neuropsychologic deficits such as, but not exclusively, those related to aging.

Modafinil and memory: Effects of modafinil on Morris water maze learning and Pavlovian fear conditioning.

“…The drug is also widely prescribed off-label to enhance alertness, attention, or memory for dementia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, excessive daytime sleepiness, and depression (O’Connor, 2004); an illicit market exists for academic doping as well (Garreau, 2006). However, research has yet to determine if these latter effects are due solely to its wake-promoting ability or to a specific ability as a cognitive enhancer, or nootropic (Giurgea, 1982). …”

Effects of Piracetam on N-Methyl-<i>D</i>-Aspartate Receptor Properties in the Aged Mouse Brain

“…Piracetam represents the prototype of the group of nootropic drugs which have been used for many years to treat learning deficits during aging and mild or moderate cases of dementia [1], However, the mechanism of action of piracetam is not known. Since the cognition-enhancing properties of piracetam are much more pronounced in aged than in young animals [2], one is tempted to speculate that the mechanism of action of piracetam might be associated with age-related neuro chemical deficits relevant for cognitive func tions.…”

Identification of a novel endogenous memory facilitating cyclic dipeptide cyclo‐prolylglycine in rat brain

“…The best known is the major arginine-vasopressin metabolite, [pGly4,Cytr]AVP(4-9), which facilitates the consolidation stage of memory formation [3,4]. At the same time there are exogenous medicines, so-called nootropics, with piracetam as the main representative, which selectively facilitate processes of training and memory [5,6]. In 1985 we [7] put forward the hypothesis that the classical nootropic piracetam acts as a peptidomimetic.…”