Description

Piracetam is a nootropic cyclic GABA derivative used in myoclonus, sickle cell disease, alcohol dependence, and as a general cognitive enhancer.

Piracetam is a nootropic drug in the racetams group, with chemical name 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide. It shares the same 2-oxo-pyrrolidone base structure with pyroglutamic acid and is a cyclic derivative of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). However its mechanism of action differ from that of endogenous GABA. Piracetam has neuroprotective and anticonvulsant properties and is reported to improve neural plasticity ¹. Its efficacy is documented in cognitive disorders and dementia, vertigo, cortical myoclonus, dyslexia, and sickle cell anemia although the clinical application in these conditions is not yet established. Piracetam has effects on the vascular system by reducing erythrocyte adhesion to the vascular endothelium, hindering vasospasms and facilitating microcirculation ¹.

Originally marketed by UCB Pharma in 1971, piracetam was the first nootropic drug to modulate cognitive function without causing sedation or stimulation ¹. It is not approved for any medical or dietary use by the FDA. In the UK, piracetam is prescribed mainly for myoclonus, but is used off-label for other conditions such as learning difficulties in children, memory loss or other cognitive defects in the elderly, and sickle-cell vaso-occlusive crises ⁴. Evidence to support its use for many conditions is unclear.