Citicoline (CDP-Choline)

2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against

Citicoline supplies choline and cytidine, raw materials the brain uses to build phosphatidylcholine for neuronal membranes and to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, both involved in memory formation.

Dose: 250–500 mg

Tested as: citicoline (Cognizin) 500 mg/day (2x250mg) for 12 weeks in healthy older adults (50-85y) with age-associated memory impairment; also 250-500 mg/day for 28 days in healthy women 40-60

2 studies · 0 supporting · 1 against

How it was tested: Pooled trials found some short/medium-term benefit on memory and global impression, but the effect on attention measures specifically was not statistically significant (p=0.22). Population was elderly people with chronic cerebral disorders, not healthy adults.

Same acetylcholine/membrane-building mechanism as above; attention and processing speed are the cognitive domains most plausibly linked to it acutely.

Dose: 250–500 mg

Tested as: citicoline 250-500 mg/day for 28 days in healthy women 40-60 (attention only); pooled data mostly from elderly patients with diagnosed chronic cerebral disease, not healthy adults with everyday mental fatigue