Piracetam [continuous nootropic]
Dosing: 1.6g 3x daily for 3 days (attack dose)
0.8g 3x daily thereafter
Taking choline with piracetam is highly recommended
Reason for use: promotes verbal memory, increases cerebral blood flow1
Reason for dosing: 4.8g/day promotes rapid onset of effects, but leads to tolerance. Therefore, an "attack dose" of 4.8g/day is taken, then dosage is reduced to 2.4g/day -- this should promote rapid onset of effects while avoiding tolerance2. Some studies in alcohol-induced brain dysfunction show 4.8g/day as necessary for effectiveness3, but normal humans are closer to mildly impaired than severely impaired, so data from trials on mildly impaired subjects should be used in calculating dosage for normal man.
Special note: Taking choline with piracetam is highly recommended, for reasons elucidated on the choline page.
1) "Increase in the power of human memory in normal man through the use of drugs"
Subjects were given 1.6g Piracetam 3x daily. No effect after 7 days, but after
14 days verbal memory significantly increased vs. subjects given a placebo.
2) "Piracetam in elderly psychiatric patients with mild diffuse cerebral impairment"
Subjects were given 4.8g/day or 2.4g/day Piracetam. Both groups showed significant improvement versus the placebo group, but the 4.8g/day group had more rapid onset of theraputic effect. However, after 12 weeks the 4.8g/day group showed decreased effect vs. the 2.4g/day groups, due to overstimulation or tolerance.
3) "High versus low-dose Piracetam in alcohol organic mental disorder: a placebo controlled study"
Subjects given 2.4g/day showed no improvement vs. placebo. Subjects given 4.8g/day showed improvement vs. placebo.
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