Sedative nootropics. Nootropics - features of the pharmaceutical group and a list of the best drugs for effective treatment

This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

In medicine, there are drugs that perform a specific function (for example, destroy microbes, lower blood pressure, reduce the secretion of fluid into the intestinal lumen). But there is a whole group of tools that allow you to improve the functions of the body that are difficult to accurate statistics and measurement. We are talking about the so-called higher mental functions. Concepts such as mental activity, learning ability, brain resistance to harmful influences are multifaceted and complex.

That is why drugs for improving higher nervous activity are so ambiguously evaluated by the world medical community. There is no doubt that a number of these drugs can improve the metabolism of neurons, their absorption of glucose, improve the state of their cell membranes, and reduce their need for oxygen. It's believed that nootropic drugs (nootropics) can improve the learning process and memory, give clarity of consciousness and "tenacity to attention", help reduce exhaustion nervous system and increase the time of the ability to work actively.

Also, nootropic drugs can increase the activity of attention and thinking, improve speech. In some cases, they activate and have an antidepressant effect, and some of these agents, on the contrary, soothe, reduce irritability, and help reduce the seizure activity of the brain.

Such a multifaceted and wide field of activity for nootropic drugs has made it possible to prescribe them in domestic medicine for a variety of diseases and conditions. These are dementia and parkinsonism, the consequences of neuroinfections and traumatic brain injury, decreased concentration and fatigue in healthy people during a session of intense study, chronic alcoholism and neuroses. Finally, nootropic pills are taken to improve the quality of sleep, and simply for prevention in view of the upcoming active mental stress.

Nootropics are also widely used in pediatric practice. In our country, they are first-line drugs, and are included in the review of drugs that treat delayed speech and mental development, the consequences of perinatal trauma, are applied in complex therapy at treatment of cerebral palsy and in the treatment of mild forms of mental retardation.

From the point of view of Western, evidence-based medicine, which requires a quantitative calculation of effectiveness, in practice everything is far from so simple, but we will talk about this at the end of our review. And now, the most popular and sold in Russia nootropic medicines, which are mainly produced in tablets, will be presented to your attention.

Review of nootropic drugs

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Review of nootropic drugs	1		270 ₽
	2		519 ₽
	3		988 ₽
	4		50 ₽
	5		391 ₽
	6		1 100 ₽
	7		837 ₽
	8		290 ₽
	9		472 ₽
	10		414 ₽

Piracetam (Lucetam, Nootropil, Memotropil)

The most famous of the old nootropics, namely Piracetam, opens the review of pills for improving mental abilities. As evidenced by the official instructions for use, Piracetam is indicated for almost 50 different diagnoses and conditions, ranging from mental retardation and cerebral infarction, and ending simply with old age and vascular dementia, such a volume in itself is doubtful. By its chemical structure, Piracetam is a derivative of gamma-aminobutyric acid.

It can be considered that Piracetam is used in Russia for almost any problems associated with higher nervous activity, and it is contraindicated only with hypersensitivity, with Huntington's chorea, and in children under 3 years of age. A history of intracerebral hemorrhage or hemorrhagic stroke, taking anticoagulants and chronic renal failure can be considered a limitation to the use of this nootropic agent.

This nootropic is used in tablets inside, as well as intramuscularly. Piracetam is produced in capsules of 400 mg, the packaging is very different - from 10 capsules to 200. At the beginning of treatment, 2 capsules are prescribed 3 times a day before meals, then the dose is gradually reduced by half, to one tablet three times a day. You should focus on a daily dose not exceeding 160 mg per kilogram of body weight. Piracetam is produced by a very large number of domestic and foreign companies, and the cheapest tablets can be purchased for 30 rubles, 20 capsules

Advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantages of the nootropic Piracetam include the fact (but very important) that after for long years its application in the USA Office of Quality Control food products and drugs (FDA) struck it off the drug list and downgraded it to dietary supplement for lack of evidence-based effectiveness. The advantages of the nootropic include good tolerance, convenience of the form of release, inexpensive cost, and availability in almost every Russian pharmacy, which does not guarantee anything in terms of effectiveness.

Phenotropil (Phenylpiracetam, Karphedon)

Phenotropil is also a "record holder" according to indications: the official instruction lists about 60 conditions and diagnoses. It turns out that this nootropic agent is used for obesity and dementia, schizophrenia with alcoholism, depression and Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and even multiple sclerosis, seizures, intracranial injuries and in connection with problems associated with adapting to lifestyle changes. In other words, if the doctor advised you to quit drinking and smoking, then this will already be an indication for the appointment of Phenotropil. By itself, this medicine, according to the manufacturer, has an anticonvulsant, nootropic, antiasthenic and neuromodulatory effect, and it should be taken after meals in a dose of 100 to 250 mg. Adults and healthy people, for prevention purposes, need 100 or 200 mg in the morning. This remedy is not recommended to be taken after 15:00 due to its energizing effect and possible sleep impairment. Tablets of 100 mg, produced by the nootropic domestic company Valenta Pharmaceuticals.

Advantages and disadvantages

Perhaps, the advantages of nootropic pills include its disadvantage - a short-term invigorating effect, but this effect is precisely the reason that Phenotropil is banned by the anti-doping committee. In domestic practice, this nootropic is used relatively widely, but in the developed countries of Europe and the United States, it is unknown and is not used. The official world health organization (WHO) does not have recommendations for its use, as well as a serious evidence base.

Encephabol, or pyritinol, is a kind of nootropic drug that contains a vitamin B6 derivative. As you know, vitamin B6 itself, or pyridoxine, which is produced in the form of hydrochloride, together with thiamine, or vitamin B1, and cyanocobalamin, or vitamin B12, constitute a group of neurotropic vitamins and are widely used in clinical practice. Encephabol is indicated, according to the manufacturer, for various forms of dementia, mental retardation, impaired memory, attention and orientation, with the consequences of traumatic brain injury.

The nootropic drug is available in 100 mg tablets and a suspension for oral administration. Adults need to take 2 tablets or 2 teaspoons three times a day, and newborns can be prescribed it already from the 3rd day after birth, 1 ml per day. According to the manufacturer, therapeutic success is achieved after a month, and the optimal effect - after 3 months. This nootropic is produced by the Austrian company Merck, and this drug costs about 800 rubles. for one package of suspension in 200 ml.

Advantages and disadvantages

TO negative sides Encephabol is the absence of an evidence base for each of the stated indications, or at least a serious study on one of them with high level reliability, and, perhaps, individual intolerance. TO positive sides nootropic is a rare development of this intolerance.

Glycine is truly a popular and cheap drug. It is used under the tongue or dissolves before bedtime, it is prescribed for children and adults to improve memory, performance, it is prescribed in large quantities to patients after a stroke. From the point of view of biochemistry, glycine, or glycocol, is the simplest amino acid that is part of almost any protein, including many proteins in our body. Also, glycine is a neurotransmitter, or a carrier of certain signals within the brain.

This popular love (good demand) pushed so many manufacturers to a combination of glycine in combination with magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and so on. These tablets are usually taken to relieve tension, ease sleep, and are taken sublingually for sucking, in tablets or as a powder after the tablet has been crushed. For adults, it is shown one to two tablets immediately before falling asleep, and for other disorders of the nervous system, the instruction prescribes a specific dosage regimen. The cheapest domestic glycine can be bought starting from 19 rubles. for 50 tablets.

Advantages and disadvantages

All nootropics have one drawback, but extremely important: there is no evidence that they are effective. Yes, glycine is a neurotransmitter. But the fact is that a neurotransmitter, in order to regulate delicate relationships in the central nervous system, must be produced in it, like acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. There will be no benefit if the neurotransmitter in large quantities comes from the intestines along with food to the brain in quantities hundreds of times higher than the required concentration, or is absorbed into the sublingual vessels. There is a blood-brain barrier, which prohibits bringing into the "holy of holies" of the organism, its command room and control apparatus, everything that is indiscriminately absorbed from the stomach. That is why glycine, which is administered through the mouth, practically does not enter the central nervous system and does not work there as a mediator, and there are no modern evidence-based studies on it. In other words, there are biological and chemical (in vitro) effects from glycine, but therapeutic ones are invisible and not proven.

A positive, and, of course, worthy effect of these pills is sometimes a rapid onset of calm, physiological sleep in those impressionable subjects who firmly believe in the healing power of glycine. Therefore, glycine may well be such an inexpensive and effective placebo, or a dummy, the whole power of which is based on the patient's faith.

Semax is no longer one amino acid, but as many as 7 amino acid residues, synthesized into one short chain. The medicine is produced in the form of nasal drops, at a concentration of 0, 1, or 1%. This synthetic protein sequence repeats one of the fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone, but lacks hormonal activity. According to the manufacturer, this drug also has a nootropic, antioxidant, and cerebroprotective effect, and due to the original absorption mechanism can be used in ophthalmology, while after 4 minutes the agent penetrates into the structures of the central nervous system, and the therapeutic effect even with a single administration lasts a day. Manufacturers have established different dosage regimen. So, upon defeat optic nerve the funds are instilled in three drops into each nasal passage three times a day, and for the prevention of stress - one drop in each nasal passage twice a day.

Manufacturers recommend using drops for the entire spectrum of cognitive disorders, the consequences of stroke, encephalopathy, for the prevention of mental fatigue, and for enhancing adaptive capabilities. Contraindications include individual intolerance, pregnancy and lactation, psychosis and convulsions, as well as age up to 5 years. This nootropic drug is produced by the domestic ZAO Peptogen, and is not cheap - in a dosage of 0.1% from 350 rubles; and at a dosage of 1% - for 3 ml, you will have to pay 1750 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantage of Semax is the lack of a clear mechanism of action inherent in all nootropics, randomized clinical trials, and its complete unknown in Western Europe and the United States, and the silence about Semax by the World Health Organization (WHO). Against this background, the price of almost 2000 rubles is rather doubtful. for a large dosage, but somewhat reassuring the fact that Semax has practically no symptoms of an overdose and drug interactions, and he is unlikely to be able to harm.

Nootropic Cerebrolysin is a biological drug, that is, a whole complex of protein-like peptides that are obtained from the brain of pigs. In general, the belief that nootropic drugs from the brain of animals help the human brain is analogous to the ancient beliefs that a strong enemy you eat will make you just as strong. In domestic practice, Cerebrolysin is also prescribed for different types disorders of cerebral circulation, with the consequences of a stroke, with mental retardation, dementia, with the consequences of traumatic brain injury.

Cerebrolysin is produced in ampoules, the most popular dosage is 5 ml, five ampoules in one package. Cerebrolysin is produced in some cases by foreign companies, but by order of a Russian manufacturer and for the domestic market. The cost of one package of Cerebrolysin starts at 915 rubles.

A little about the price of the issue: the manufacturer recommends the optimal course of administration of the nootropic drug in the form of daily injections or infusions, and the duration of the course is usually 2 weeks on average. At the same time, single doses, which are recommended, with intramuscular injection should not exceed 5 ml, with intravenous administration bolus, that is, immediately - 10 ml, and by setting an intravenous infusion slowly drip - up to 50 ml per day, for example, with a stroke, and with the consequences of brain injuries. Thus, even after a slight concussion of the brain, no one will forbid the patient to drip the drug for 1800 rubles every day, if we take the maximum daily dose (with the price of one ampoule of 5 ml at least 180 rubles). Thus, for a course of treatment within two weeks of daily droppers, you can pay 27,000 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

As usual, Cerebrolysin does not have high quality clinical trials with a high level of evidence that are accepted for drug introduction in Western countries. Nevertheless, he is appointed and successfully advertised throughout our country. In general, all biological preparations obtained from other creatures that are administered, including intravenously, in developed countries are either generally prohibited for import into the country or are explicitly prohibited for use, since they can carry prion infections. Even without this, it was proven in 2010 that Cerebrolysin is ineffective even in high doses for treating stroke. Whether the prescribing of this nootropic is literally beneficial to the prescribing physician remains open in this case. But we can say with confidence that such cases are not uncommon in our country.

There is nothing special to say about Cortexin, except for an extract from pork brains, a fraction from cattle was also added to Cerebrolysin, and the indications for children were expanded (up to 20 kg of weight, that is, practically from birth). The manufacturer endows this nootropic drug with the ability to improve brain function, protect neurons from damage, increase their survival and resistance to stress, activate their function, and many others. useful properties... In the indications, Cortexin is recommended for use in complex therapy, that is, together with any other means. The manufacturer, apparently, has reason not to trust his nootropic drug, since in monotherapy, that is, if it is used only once, there is a high risk that the effect may not be, and this will be immediately visible.

This nootropic is contraindicated only in case of individual intolerance, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. The manufacturer refers to the lack of data from clinical studies for pregnant and lactating women. But, apparently, they are not needed: Cortexin is already in demand.

The manufacturer of Cortexin is the domestic company Geropharm, and the minimum dosage of 5 mg in a bottle will cost you 540 rubles. for 10 bottles. In this case, a single dose, for example, in stroke, is 2 bottles 2 times a day for 10 days, or 4 packs.

Advantages and disadvantages

The big drawback of this nootrop is the reluctance of the drug manufacturers to subject it to pharmacokinetic studies, which is routine, but it turns out that the manufacturer knows perfectly well how this drug works - this is a significant advantage. Here are two quotes from the official instructions: "The composition of the drug does not allow for the usual pharmacokinetic analysis of individual components." And the second quote: “The mechanism of action of Cortexin® is due to the activation of neuronal peptides and neurotrophic factors of the brain; optimization of the balance of metabolism of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids, dopamine, serotonin; GABA-ergic effect ... .. ". Question: if the manufacturer cannot determine which components are in the nootropic drug, how could they conclude about its excellent effectiveness? And how is the rest of the world not yet ready to put this miracle into practice?

Mexidol (meksiprim)

This nootropic drug contains ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate, that is, the only chemical substance, which belongs to the group of antioxidants. Like other nootropics, this drug is indicated for use in case of overload and mental overstrain, with anxiety and cognitive impairment, with neuroses, with chronic alcoholism and toxic encephalopathy, with damage to the cerebral vessels, including in the elderly, as well as in cranial - brain injury and its consequences.

Each Mexidol tablet contains 125 mg of the active ingredient, and it should be used 1 - 2 tablets three times a day, maximum 6 tablets can be used, and the course of treatment is on average 3-4 weeks. In the case of relief of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, 7 days is enough. Mexidol is produced by the domestic company ZiO-Health, and one pack of 50 tablets will cost 360 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantage is the same, namely, no serious data from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine. This, of course, does not mean at all that there was no research at all. Of course, they were, but there were always few patients, there were many errors in research, no randomization and blinding. Blindness is a prerequisite for the objectivity of research: blind research is when the patient does not know whether he is being given a study drug or a placebo, a dummy for comparison. Double blind is when even the doctor does not know whether he is prescribing a dummy or a drug declared in the study. Any proper research costs money, including patient insurance, and as a result, the validity and value of these Mexidol studies are highly questionable. As for other data, the nootropic drug can affect the ability to drive vehicles, and during the period of treatment it is better to refuse to drive vehicles, and in case of an overdose or at the maximum dose, drowsiness may develop.

Cytoflavin is a complex nootropic drug that contains inosine, vitamins - nicotinamide and riboflavin, and succinic acid. Pharmacological it refers to a combination of metabolic drugs, and is indicated for the effects of stroke, atherosclerosis, neurasthenia, cerebrovascular pathology. At the same time, succinic acid helps to optimize energy metabolism in the cell, nicotinamide and riboflavin are necessary for cellular respiration and stimulation aTP synthesis, and inosine is a precursor of a high-energy compound - ATP, which is a donor of intracellular energy.

The nootropic drug should be taken 2 tablets twice a day in the morning and in the evening, but no later than six in the evening, the duration of the course is 25 days. There were no cases of overdose, side effects can manifest themselves in the form of a headache, or mild abdominal discomfort, as well as in the form of allergic reactions. The drug is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating mothers due to insufficient research. Cytoflavin is produced by the domestic company Polisan, and a package of 50 tablets will cost 360 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

Of the disadvantages of a nootropic drug, it should be noted that, in essence, it is not a nootropic, since it is a combined remedy of vitamins and energy metabolites. Cytoflavin is a fairly well tolerated drug, like other nootropics, it also does not have a reliable evidence base, but subjectively, many patients, especially elderly patients, notice an improvement after parenteral administration of Cytoflavin. Whether this refers to the effect of self-hypnosis, or whether the nootropic drug really helps is still unknown.

Pantogam, or hopantenic acid, according to the international classification, refers to psychostimulants and nootropic drugs. It should be used, according to the manufacturer, for very many indications, in addition to standard mental and neurological diagnoses, this acid even in the indications has "activity limitations caused by a decrease in working capacity." Such a too broad interpretation of indications for use (and, of course, in favor of the remedy) cannot but cause surprise.

Each tablet contains 250 mg of calcium hopantenate, and it is recommended for adults to take no more than 3 g, or 6 tablets per day, for children also no more than 3G per day. In some cases, the duration of the course of treatment may be 6 months, and after a break of 6 months, such a course may be repeated. We will not list all the detailed dosages of Pantogam in this review, we will only say that in addition to tablets of 250 and 500 mg, the drug is produced in a syrup that contains 100 mg of active ingredient per 1 ml. This medicine is produced by the domestic company Peak Pharma. You can buy a bottle of syrup weighing 100 milligrams for 340 rubles, and a package of tablets with a maximum dosage of 0.5 g in an amount of 50 pieces for 470 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

It has already been said above that the disadvantage of all nootropics is at least the lack of an evidence base, which is why they are not used in developed countries of Europe, in Israel and in the USA. But the situation with the nootropic drug Pantogam is much worse. This drug was banned in Japan in the early 1990s, since it was proven that it was the intake of hopantenic acid that led to a number of fatal complications that occurred with the so-called Reye's syndrome (encephalopathy and liver damage in children and adolescents, usually after the appointment of acetylsalicylic acid ). In order not to be unfounded, we provide links to scientific works (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2063999 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3826551 https: // www .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / pubmed / 3379435).

Conclusion, or the happy fate of nootropics in Russia

It would be possible to cite a number of pills, and describe in detail in the rating such drugs as Picamilon, Phenibut, Phezam, Gliatilin, Aminalon, Cavinton, Ceraxon, which are positioned as a means with a nootropic effect. But we will not do this, because we will start repeating ourselves.

So, Picamilon also in the United States of America was not only recognized as a falsified nootropic drug, but even excluded from the list of dietary supplements. Researchers from the FDA simply analyzed tablets in which the active ingredient was in different quantities, and in one of the tablets it was not found at all. Such counterfeits are very strictly punishable by law abroad, but what is the composition of the tablets in the Russian Federation, and what machines are used at pharmaceutical factories to ensure a uniform content of the active substance in each tablet, we do not know this information, and do not even think about it.

This information, which allows the reader to think about it, is not at all "a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey." It is no coincidence that the list of nootropics is not entitled “the best” drugs, but “popular” drugs. And that's a big difference. If there is a better nootropic drug, then this means that there is a worse one, that is, there is an effect from one drug, and the least effect of another, this can be proved by the laws of mathematics and medical statistics, because the measure is efficiency.

As for nootropic drugs, they have an extremely large list of indications, which sometimes take dozens of diagnoses. Truly, many fish can be caught in troubled waters. If we compare this with serious drugs, for example for lowering cholesterol or lowering blood pressure, you will see that one or two indications for use are quite enough, for example, hypertonic disease and heart failure. As it was shown in the review, manufacturers attract even such diagnoses, which are not indicators of a disease of the body, for example, "adaptation disorder when changing lifestyle".

Countries that are world leaders are trying to get rid of those drugs whose action cannot be proved, as well as from dishonestly acquired and “laundered” money. Wealthy rich Russians go to Germany, Switzerland, Israel and the United States for treatment. And none of them thinks with alarm that they will not be prescribed Cortexin, Cerebrolysin, or Picamilon there. In the United States of America, for example, there is not a single drug approved by international recommendations to improve intellectual mnestic, or cognitive functions, both in sick and healthy people. In developed countries, nootropics are generally not registered as medicines anywhere, since they have not been tested for evidence-based efficacy.

Of course, it is better to give a nootropic drug to the patient as a magic remedy to stimulate the brain, than to tell him boring and boring advice on how to healthy image life, weight normalization, quitting smoking and alcohol, healthy sleep, and sports will make him healthy. People perfectly understand and feel that it is these non-drug methods that are effective, and, most importantly, proven in numerous international studies, not only for prevention, but also for the treatment of many neurological diseases. But a person is designed in such a way that he wants everything at once, with the minimum expenditure of his forces. Therefore, before you listen to the advice of a domestic specialist and run to buy Cortexin, Piracetam or Phenibut, think several times whether your health needs it. Remember that a wealthy Englishman or American will never do this, and a German doctor or specialist from the United States, where the medical profession is prestigious and highly paid, will never prescribe nootropics to a patient, since they are clinically ineffective.

* The popularity rating is based on the analysis of demand data from the wordstat.yandex.ru service.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Nootropics have already ceased to be the lot of geeks, as it was just a few years ago. They quickly became fashionable among students and freelancers, and today they have become commonplace for many other segments of the population. The share of nootropic drugs in the global pharmaceutical market is already more than $ 1 billion and continues to grow rapidly.

There is, of course, nothing to be surprised at. If there are pills that promise to make you smarter and more focused, then you are more likely to take them - provided the risks do not outweigh the benefits (will you?)

True, nootropics by themselves have not made anyone smarter yet, but it seems to help to cope with workloads, successfully pass an exam, get out of the work time pressure or better perform the daily tasks of a knowledge worker. But "it seems" here - not from excessive delicacy.

In the English-speaking world, nootropics are also called "smart drugs". There are also such cute definitions as "professors" little helpers ".

There is good and bad news. Let's start with the first one: the effectiveness of most of the nootropic drugs widespread on the Russian market has not been confirmed by serious clinical trials. Evidence-based medicine advocates tend to conclude from this that taking nootropics is simply useless. But a simple statement cannot be limited here.

Now the good news: for many, nootropics do help. Of course, the significance of the placebo effect has not been canceled, but in the case of nootropics, it can be argued that there are other reasons.

So, let's try to figure out how nootropics work and what effects to expect from their use.

What nootropics do to the brain

Once again, nootropics alone will not make you smarter and will not save you from an overwhelmed session. It would be rather strange to expect that some kind of pill will modify your intelligence, if you do not put an effort into it and do not distribute the mental load more or less rationally.

It is still impossible to fully understand exactly how nootropics work, and in what cases they can be recommended to healthy people to improve cognitive performance. I am afraid that this will not work, even if you first pump yourself up with some modafinil or pramiracetam and immerse yourself in reading the literature on the topic for a year or two.

According to the results of an informal survey conducted on the website of the journal Nature in 2008, of the\u003e 1400 scientists who took part in it, about 20% of them use some nootropics.

To begin with, this class of drugs includes drugs with a wide variety of pharmacological properties and effects. In the most general sense, nootropics are called drugs that "have a direct activating effect on learning, improve memory and mental activity, increase the brain's resistance to aggressive environmental influences" (WHO definition).

They act as follows:

• Stimulates cerebral circulation;
• Improve the supply and absorption of glucose (it easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier between the circulatory and nervous systems, and the brain does not lack energy);
• They prevent hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of the brain;
• Improve interaction between the prefrontal cortex and other areas of the brain, accelerate the exchange of information between its hemispheres;
• They stimulate cognitive functions, processing and memorization of information, affecting the production of certain neurotransmitters, with the help of which neurons exchange their "messages".

Nootropics are believed to optimize metabolism and neuronal activity, but do not have the side effects of psychostimulants. For example, caffeine, while promoting concentration, is generally not considered a nootropic.

A dummy or a drug?

Although nootropics are used in medical practice for the treatment of clinical depression, recovery from stroke, ADHD or asthenic disease, they have not received clinical confirmation in the framework of evidence-based medicine.

This means that in the so-called "blind" studies, when neither doctors nor patients know where the placebo is, and where the tested drug is, it was not possible to find a statistically significant difference between a nootropic or a dummy pill. Therefore, in the United States, for example, piracetam (also known as Nootropil) is not considered a medicine at all and is registered as biologically active additive to food.

But you need to take into account, firstly, that not all nootropics have ever been tested of this kind; and secondly, that they usually test for a very specific effect of the drug (for example, helping with recovery from strokes, as in the case of cerebrolysin).

In addition, individual studies have nevertheless demonstrated an improvement in cognitive abilities with medical and non-medical medical use nootropics. This is also evidenced by the experience of many people taking nootropics to increase their intellectual productivity.

According to one of the domestic studies, 69.7% of people out of 120 students who took nootropics felt a subjective improvement during the session - however, according to the average score, no improvement occurred.

The fact is that nootropics work very individually. The effects obtained are highly dependent on the properties of your body and on what you are doing while taking them. In addition, most nootropics have a cumulative effect (the results only show themselves over time), so it is rather difficult to fix it.

In general, the entire range of nootropic drugs can be divided into three groups:

Harmless but (almost) ineffective.These are brain vitamins like glycine. This amino acid, which is really important for memory and cognitive processes, our body produces on its own. If you already have enough of it, then the effect will depend only on your ability to self-hypnosis.

Effective, but unsafe. Either you will not find these drugs on the legal market at all, or you can only get them by prescription. These include, for example, Ritalin, Modafinil, Adderall and Pramiracetam. They strongly affect the nervous system and can be addictive. In Russia, some of them are prohibited and are considered drugs (much to the indignation of transhumanists).

Moderately effective and (nearly) safe. Drugs that can act as a placebo, improve blood flow to the brain, stimulate the production of certain neurotransmitters or have an inhibitory effect - help relieve irritability and improve concentration. Phenotropil, for example, rather accelerates, and Phenibut, on the contrary, soothes the nervous system (although in some cases it can cause heart rhythm disturbances and anxiety). If you have problems with the blood supply to the brain, such drugs will really help, if everything is fine, with the right mindset, the placebo effect will come to your aid.

The formula for piracetam is the first drug called a nootropic. It was synthesized in 1963 by Belgian pharmacologists and used to improve cognitive function in the elderly. In Russia, it remains the most popular drug in this group.

For those wishing to learn more about the effects of various nootropic drugs, we can recommend, for example, a site where there are results of amateur research and recommendations on the use of nootropics.

And more recently, the results of a large-scale (albeit informal) study of nootropics were published, in which 850 people participated. There were no clinical trials - participants simply responded to several surveys about their experience with such drugs. In addition to the banned Adderall and Modafinil, the domestic drugs Phenibut, Semax and Cerebrolysin received the highest marks in it.

Even if the effect of legal nootropics on healthy people is reduced to a placebo, different degrees of their effectiveness can be distinguished: for some reason, some drugs work better than others.

In general, reviews of nootropics are more than contradictory. Intelligence is too complex a human property, which, moreover, strongly depends on heredity. Therefore, it is hardly possible to improve it simply with the help of chemical compounds.

Nootropics can temporarily boost certain intellectual abilities - such as memory or concentration - but at the same time weaken other brain functions and cause addiction. As a result, without the help of magic pills, you will completely forget how to think well.

According to some studies, IQ test results can improve after taking nootropics - but they can change for the worse if they were already high.

Apart from purely medical considerations, there are ethical considerations. Someone thinks that this is simply not fair. Can nootropics be considered doping drugs? Some even think that it is time for universities to organize special commissions that will screen out students for such a "scam". But there is really nothing to worry about: nootropics will not help radically improve learning ability anyway.

The cognitive mechanisms of the brain are still poorly understood, and pharmacology lags behind neurosciences by whole decades. Among the most popular nootropics are still those substances that were synthesized in the 60s and 70s of the last century.

It is hoped that the invention of truly effective and at the same time harmless drugs that improve brain function is a matter of the near future. The nootropics that exist now can actually increase your intellectual productivity, but in the case of legal drugs, this is most likely due to the placebo effect, and in the case of illegal ones, it will have unpleasant side effects.

Almost all popular nootropics were originally developed for patients with severe cognitive impairment. While some of them have been proven to be beneficial for medical use, they seem to have no effect on healthy people. The conclusion is as follows: if everything is in order with your blood supply and brain function, the effect of nootropics will be a little less than completely limited only by your subjective sensations.

And of course, it is better to consult a doctor before testing the effect of nootropics on your own brain.

NOTROPIC MEANS. ACTUTS

NOTROPIC MEANS

Nootropic drugs (psychometabolic stimulants), providing a selective mnemotropic effect (Greek, tpet -memory, (horos -direction), improve the higher integrative functions of the brain - intelligence, attention, short- and long-term memory, create the ability to quickly reproduce information, accelerate learning, and reduce the number of errors in problem solving. Nootropics weaken the perception of stressful situations, restore interest in life, goals, self-confidence, optimism, vitality, and increase the brain's resistance to harmful influences.

The action of nootropics is directed at the cerebral cortex. They facilitate the interhemispheric transmission of nerve impulses, enhance the controlling effect of the cortex on the subcortical structures, and improve the function of both neurons and neuroglia.

In the formation of memory, the cerebral cortex (especially the temporal and frontal lobes) and the gig shockamp are involved. amygdala, thalamus, cerebellum (training in motor conditioned reflexes). The transition from short-term to long-term memory is the transformation of the process of obtaining information into the process of storing it. Such a transformation is provided by the medial temporal lobe of the cortex, the hippocampus (memorizing and consolidating memory traces), and the reticular formation (regulating attention).

The accumulation and storage of information in memory is due to electrical and chemical processes in the brain, leading to structural changes. Short-term memory is based on trace phenomena - the circulation of nerve impulses in a chain of neurons after the cessation of stimuli.

Long-term memory is associated with chemical coding of information and activation of the synapse. When neurons are repeatedly and for a long time excited, the concentration of calcium ions increases in their postsynaptic membrane. These ions activate calcium-dependent proteinase (callin), which breaks down the membrane protein (fodrin) with subsequent unmasking and an increase in the number of functioning glutamic acid receptors. Synapses become more sensitive as their conductance increases due to an increase in the number of glutamic acid receptors.

Acetnlcholine is essential for memory processes. Serotonin speeds up learning and lengthens skill retention if they are based on positive emotional reinforcement (eg, nutritional). Norepinephrine accelerates learning in cases of negative emotional reinforcement (eg, electrocutaneous). Neuropeptides are also involved in the regulation of memory - fragments of ACTT, vasopressin, substances R.

With the formation of long-term memory, the synthesis of RNA and informational neuropeptides - enzymes, cytoreceptors - is enhanced. Already in the first hours after the start of learning, these neuropeptides are transported along axons from the bodies of neurons to synaptic endings, where they increase the efficiency of synaptic transmission of nerve impulses.

The first nootropic drug piracetam was created in the 1980s by G. Giurdzhea and V. Skondia - employees of the company OSV(Belgium). The most famous nootropic drugs:

* PIRACETAM (NOOTROPIL) - a derivative of pyrrolidone, a cyclic derivative of GABA;

* AMINALON (GAMMALON) - GABA in pure form:

* PHENIBUT - a phenyl derivative of GABA;

* PICAMILON - a combination of GABA molecules and nicotinic acid;

* 1THYRIDITOL (PYRITINOL,ENERBALL. ENTSEFABOL) is a chemical analogue of pyridoxine, but

without the properties of vitamin Sg, it can even act as its antagonist.

The mechanism of action of nootropics

Improving the bioenergy of the brain

Nootropic drugs increase the synthesis of ATP and cAMP, glucose utilization, intensify glycolysis and aerobic respiration, and promote the growth of adenylate cyclase activity. As you know, aging and neuropsychiatric diseases are characterized by a deficit of energy and a decrease in the activity of adenylate cyclase in neurons.

Nootropic drugs, which have the structure of GABA, have an antihypoxic effect, modifying the biochemical reactions of the GABA shunt,

The GABA shunt is a bypass path between two sequential metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle - a-ketoglutaric and succinic acids. Part of a-ketoglutaric acid is converted into succinic acid not directly, but undergoing first reductive amination into glutamic acid. Then glutamic acid is decarboxylated to GABA. GABA, entering into a transaminating reaction with a-ketoglutarate. forms glutamic acid and amber semialdehyde. The latter is either reduced to GHB or oxidized to succinic acid. The GHB-amber semialdehyde system under conditions of oxygen deficiency supplies an additional pool of oxidized NAD *, which is necessary for the oxidation of lactate to pyruvate. This reduces the toxic effect of lactate on the enzyme systems of cells, prevents the accumulation of ammonia. There is no correlation between the anti-hapokeic and myemotropic effects of nootropics. Enhancementsynthesis and release of neurotransmitters

Nootropic drugs activate the synthesis, release and turnover of dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, inhibit MAO, increase the formation of β-adrenergic receptors, cholinergic receptors and neuronal uptake of choline. In the mechanism of neurotransmitter release, the blockade of potassium channels is important, which facilitates membrane depolarization. Increased protein synthesis and membrane phospholipids

Nootropic drugs improve the regeneration of neurons, activate their genome and increase the synthesis of informational neuropeptides, intensify the metabolism of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine.

It has been shown that cycloheximind administered to rat pups on the 7th day of natal development causes behavioral and learning disorders. Taking nootropic drugs from the 8th to the 14th day eliminates these violations. Piracetam stimulates the incorporation of leucine into brain proteins, stabilizes neuronal lysosomes and prevents catabolic processes in the brain during aging.

Improving cerebral blood flowand hemorheological indicators

Nootropic drugs dilate cerebral vessels, improve blood flow in areas of cerebral ischemia, prevent the development of cerebral edema, block platelet aggregation, thrombus formation. improve the elasticity of erythrocytes and microcirculation. Nicotinic acid in picamilon has a direct vasodilator and anti-atherosclerotic effect. Anpshoxidant action

Nootropics, inhibiting free radical peroxidation, protect against destruction of phospholipids of neuronal membranes, which facilitates the fixation of memory traces. Lipid peroxidation increases in the brain during organic diseases, aging and stress.

Potentiation of mnemotropic effects of memory neuropeptides

Piracetam, whose gshrrolidone ring does not open to form a linear GABA molecule, is an agonist of receptors that receive signals from memory neuropeptides (fragments of ACTH, vasopressin, substances R).In terms of chemical structure, piracetam is similar to the cyclic form of the terminal amino acid of memory neuropeptides - pyroglutamate and affects receptors as an exogenous ligand.Probably the most important for the mnemotropic action of piracetam is the activation of AMPA-receptors of glutamic acid (quisqualate receptors),

Application and features of the action of nootropic drugs

The indications for the appointment of nootropics are as follows:

Oligophrenia, cerebral palsy, prevention of cerebral disorders in newborn children from high-risk groups;

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, hypertensive encephalopathy, consequences of cerebral stroke;

* Mnestic disorders in alcoholism, epilepsy, neurO1G infections;

Post-traumatic acute and chronic brain damage;

Senile demency, asthenia and depression in the elderly;

Neurosis, severe stress with overwork, impaired mental and social adaptation;

Dizziness;

Comatose states of vascular, toxic or traumatic etiology.

Thus, nootropics are directed to the mind, which is dying out either due to pathological processes, or as a result of stress caused by physical, chemical, biological and social factors.

Nootropic drugs have curative action only with prolonged course use. The effectiveness of therapy depends on the patient's age: the younger the patient, the better the response to treatment.

PIRACETAM has a stress-protective and anti-anxiety effect as a ligand of benzodiazepine receptors activated during fear and anxiety. The anti-anxiety effect enhances emotional reactivity in a conflict situation. Thus, piracetam is a daytime tranquilizer. She is considered the drug of choice for exam stress when nootropic properties matter. With the introduction of piracetam into a vein or muscle, the depression of the central nervous system decreases in patients who are in a state of stupor and coma.

AMINALON reduces heart rate and blood pressure in patients with arterial ptertensia, accelerates awakening in coma, normalizes blood glucose levels in hyperglycemia, and has a moderate anticonvulsant effect in epilepsy.

Phenibut has the properties of a weak daytime tranquilizer with analgesic, anticonvulsant and multi-relaxant activity, potentiates the action medicines, depressing the central nervous system. It is an agonist of GABA receptors, inhibits GABA transaminase and increases the release of GABA. Phenibut is prescribed to calm agitated children and neurotic children, the elderly with anxious fussiness, night anxiety, sleep disorders, before surgery * y and painful diagnostic procedures, for the treatment of stuttering, tics, spasticity.

PICAMILON has a moderate tranquilizing effect with a stimulating component, significantly improves cerebral circulation, prevents the pressure of atherosclerosis, reduces the content of GABA and the activity of GABA transaminase in the brain.

PYRIDITOL increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier for glucose, fatty acids, acetic acid and amino acids, stimulates their oxidation and ATP production in neurons, reduces the formation of lactate, creates conditions for metabolic processes without an increase in oxygen demand, and also increases protein synthesis and the supply of sodium ions into the brain. Pyriditol occupies an intermediate position between nootropic drugs and psychostimulants. It activates the ideational and motor spheres of activity, increases physical endurance. Indications for the use of pyriditol are shallow depression, asthenic and neurosis-like disorders of organic origin. The purpose of this drug in gerontological practice is limited due to the pronounced psychostimulating effect.

ACEFEN (MEU1OPHENOXATE HYDROCHLORIDE,CENTROPHENOXIN) undergoes hydrolysis to form lara-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (a synthetic analog of plant auxin) and dimethylaminoethanol (an active antioxidant). Acefen has a myemotropic and moderate psychostimulating effect, activates glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier, stabilizes mitochondrial membranes, improves oxidative phosphorylation, ATP synthesis in neurons, increases synaptic transmission of nerve impulses and the number of cholinergic receptors, in the experiment it contributes to the disappearance of granules of neuronofuscin cells of young animals). It is indicated for asthenia, impaired intelligence in old age, somatogenic psychoses, trauma and vascular diseases of the brain, neurosis obsessions, diencephalic and lateral amyogrophic syndromes. Dimethanolaminoethanol is used as a nootropic drug called DEANOLA ACEGLUMATE (DEMANOL).

PANTOGAM (HOMOPANTOTENOBAIC ACID) -calcium salt of P-homo-pantothenic acid, in which the fragment (3-alanine is replaced by GABA. Normally, the content of homopantothenic acid in the brain is 0.5-1% of the amount of GABA. It is a reserve form of GABA. For pantogam, pronounced anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety effects, the ability to reduce the reaction to pain irritation.This nootropic agent enhances the oxidation of fatty acids in the brain, oxidative decarboxylation of a-keto acids, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, has a hypocholesterolemic effect.

The use of Pantogam is recommended for neurosis, Parkinson's disease, some forms of epilepsy, tremor, stuttering, motor complications of neuroleptic therapy, encephalitis, cerebral palsy, oligophrenia, neuralgia trigeminal nerve... It is not effective for symptomatic parkinsonism, depression, and chronic alcoholism.

Nootropics are well tolerated by patients. In selected patients receiving piracetam. picamilon, pyriditol or acefen, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, anxiety, dyspeptic disorders, allergic reactions occur. Piracetam sometimes causes exacerbation of angina pectoris in older people. Sick diabetes mellitus it is necessary to take into account the large amount of sugar in the composition of piracetam granules. Taking aminalon can be accompanied by vomiting, a feeling of heat, fluctuations in blood pressure. Acefen increases delirium, hallucinations, anxiety in mental patients, provokes arrhythmia (Dimethylaminoethanol acts as a choline antagonist in the synthesis of acetylcholine). In the treatment of pantogamom, a syndrome similar to Reis's syndrome (encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of internal organs) has been described. This serious complication is due to the disruption of carnitine metabolism.

Piracetam is contraindicated in acute renal failure, diabetes mellitus (granules), children under one year old. Picamilon is not prescribed against the background of acute and chronic kidney disease, pyriditol and acefen - with mental agitation, neuroinfections, epilepsy and other convulsive conditions.

Therapy with nootropic drugs is inappropriate for persistent and significant impairment of mental activity and intelligence.

ACTOPROTECTOPA

Actoprotectors increase physical and mental performance in difficult conditions. The drug of this group - a derivative of mercaptobenzimidazole BEMITIL increases motivation, mental activity and attention, improves cerebral circulation. It has a strong antihypoxic effect, since it reduces the consumption of oxygen by tissues, heat production, the consumption of energy resources per unit of work performed, increases the conjugation of oxidative phosphorylation and the synthesis of high-energy phosphates. It activates glyconeogenesis, improves glucose utilization by the brain, heart and skeletal muscles, while the body is cleared of lactic acid and ammonia utilized in glucosolactate and glucose alanine cycles. Stimulates the synthesis of RNA, protein and tissue regeneration. Potentiates the effects of endogenous antioxidant systems - superoxide dismutase and catalase.

Bemitilused for the treatment of diseases accompanied by chronic hypoxia, for example, with psychasthenia, vestibular disorders, myocardial dystrophy, acute hepatitis, radiation sickness. It is prescribed for rapid recovery during intense physical activity in sports and industrial medicine. The drug is also used as a stimulator of humoral and cellular immunity.

Some sickbemitil causes dyspeptic disorders, irritability and insomnia, is contraindicated in hypoglycemia.

Imagine a situation: there is an important task ahead, requiring maximum concentration of mental abilities, and your brain, as luck would have it, refuses to work. Thoughts are in the clouds, the head seems to be wadded, and the memory - "full of holes". But there is a whole group of drugs that improve cognitive function!

Norm and pathology

First of all, it would be good to determine the cause of the violations. Impaired memory, decreased mental performance, and headache and the noise in your head may be the first swallows serious diseasesassociated with impaired blood flow in the brain.

As a rule, this occurs with vasoconstriction against the background of arterial hypertension or atherosclerosis. Both of these conditions, without proper treatment, progress and often lead to serious consequences, such as stroke or heart attack.

In addition, mental impairment may be associated with a medical condition such as Alzheimer's. Therefore, at the first warning signs, it is better to consult a doctor and figure out what is happening in the body. If the examination confirms the pathology, the person needs long and serious treatment.

However, fortunately, memory impairment can be quite harmless. Indeed, we often work at a high pace, sparing no effort, and stress, physical and mental strain make themselves felt as natural fatigue. And what kind of intellectual success can we talk about if the exhausted body directs all efforts to ensure at least the uninterrupted operation of vital systems? This is where you can pay attention to nootropics.

"Smart" pills

The word "nootropic" was first coined by the Romanian physiologist and chemist Cornelius Girge in 1972. He combined it from two Greek components: noos - reason and tropos - direction. The main task of nootropics is to improve cognitive function.

For decades, in world psychiatry and neurology, disputes about the advisability of using drugs of this group by healthy people have not subsided. The reasons for this are possible side effects drugs along with unproven efficacy. Nevertheless, in 2015, sales of funds of this group in the world exceeded $ 1 billion, and the demand for them is constantly growing.

According to the instructions for use, nootropics are able to accelerate the transmission of impulses between the cerebral hemispheres, normalize metabolic processes and enhance microcirculation. It is also said that nootropic drugs improve mental performance, learning and memory, and in addition increase the brain's resistance to damaging factors such as high loads or lack of oxygen.

Today, in domestic practice, nootropics of different classes are used, including:

• racetam, of which Piracetam is a prominent representative;
• derivatives of gamma-aminobutyric acid (Phenibut);
• herbal preparations such as ginkgo biloba extract;
• amino acids (Glycine);
• substances of other groups with a nootropic effect, including correctors of cerebral circulation disorders (Vinpocetine, Cinnarizine) and general tonic drugs (ginseng extract, melatonin).

Let's take a look at the features of each group.

Briefly about properties

Each representative of nootropics can be given a separate article, but we will try to describe them briefly and to the point.

Piracetam. He owns the laurels of primacy: piracetam was the first "drug that improves cognitive function." It is produced under various trade names (Lucetam, Nootropil, Piracetam) in various forms of release (solution for intramuscular and intravenous injections, tablets, capsules) and is used for various conditions and diseases accompanied by intellectual disabilities.

It should be noted that piracetam is not used in the United States. The FDA requires that only drugs that diagnose, treat, or prevent disease are classified as drugs in the United States. The composition of the food additives should include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, plant compounds. Piracetam, alas, does not satisfy either the first or the second requirement, and therefore, according to American laws, it cannot be either a drug or a dietary supplement. But in European countries it is used, although some experts, including domestic ones, are extremely skeptical about its evidence base. Piracetam is even included in the well-known list of placebo drugs, presented by the chairman of the Formulary Committee of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor Vorobiev.

Derivatives of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The drugs in this series include Aminalon, Picamilon, Phenibut, etc. Phenibut, along with improving mental performance, eliminates tension, irritability and improves sleep. True, again in the West, unlike the CIS countries, the funds of this group are not used as nootropics. In addition, Picamilon and Phenibut were included in the above-mentioned list of Professor Vorobyov.

Ginkgo biloba extract. According to the instructions for use, it has a combined nootropic, antihypoxic effect, improves blood circulation in the brain, thereby helping to improve cognitive functions and improve memory. It is sold both in the form of medicinal products (Bilobil, Tanakan, Memoplant) and as part of dietary supplements. As a dietary supplement is used in the West. However, clinical studies have not confirmed the beneficial effects of ginkgo biloba on intelligence and memory in healthy people.

Glycine. This amino acid regulates metabolic processes in the nervous system, normalizes excitation and inhibition, and at the same time has a very high safety profile. Therefore, over-the-counter Glycine is often used for various disorders of the psycho-emotional state: irritability, insomnia, as well as a decrease in mental performance, including in children. In the United States, Glycine is used as a dietary supplement, and in some European countries, for example, Poland, Italy, it is part of the combined analgesic drugs (Alka-Prim). As an independent nootropic it is used mainly in the territory of the post-Soviet space.

Normalizing cerebral circulation. Members of this group act by improving the blood supply to the brain. For example, Vinpocetine is a synthetic analogue of an alkaloid isolated from periwinkle. The drug was created by Hungarian pharmacologists and is used mainly in Eastern Europe. Research from the Cochrane Collaboration has not confirmed the positive effects of Vinpocetine on mental performance.

Another popular drug of this subgroup is Cinnarizine, which is used in the West for the most part at seasickness, since it relieves nausea and vomiting with vestibular disorders, and in the territory of the post-Soviet space is often prescribed as an affordable nootropic.

Ginseng extract. Ginseng extract is believed to enhance mental and physical performance by stimulating the central nervous system. However, this herbal preparation has not defended its nootropic properties in clinical research... According to the Cochrane Collaboration, no conclusive evidence has been found to show that ginseng extract can improve mental performance.

Everyone may have their own answer to the rhetorical question "to drink or not drink drugs to improve memory". And the truth is its own: one, unsightly, among scientists, and completely different, optimistic, among consumers. Despite discouraging research data, many patients readily take nootropics and feel better with treatment. Moreover, most of the products of this group are well tolerated, and some, for example, ginkgo biloba extract and glycine, are sold even without a doctor's prescription.

However, relying on the achievements of pharmacology, it would be good to help the body, which reacts to difficult working conditions and lack of normal rest with a deterioration in mental abilities. Give yourself a temporary break, switch to other activities, go to the pool or gym... And, perhaps, soon you will see how deep your intellectual capabilities are and without any medicinal support.

Marina Pozdeeva

Photo istockphoto.com

For many years, experts in various fields related to medicine have been trying to create a remedy that removes the effects of nervous overexcitation and exhaustion. Modern life exposes the human nervous system to endless overloads. The most sensitive organs are affected first: the brain and nervous system. The consequences of such an impact on a person are manifested in memory impairment, the development of cardiovascular diseases, and a decrease in the cognitive capabilities of the individual. The way out of the situation was the emergence of nootropic drugs.

Many patients ask, nootropic drugs - what are they? These are modern medicinal psychotropic drugs that improve the mental activity of the human body, making the brain more resistant to various influences on it, even as a result of craniocerebral trauma.

Description of the problem

The body cannot independently cope with constant adverse effects, such as the worsening from year to year environmental situation, stress, physical and mental stress, negative phenomena in political and economic life. Difficulties associated with poor brain function and disorders of the nervous system are inherent in different age categories... In young children, these are the consequences of frequent birth trauma, oxygen deprivation in the womb or during childbirth.

During schooling, teaching loads increase, posture changes, and hormonal changes begin in adolescence. All this negatively affects cerebral circulation, general state child, psycho-emotional state. The unstable psyche of the child sometimes fails. The adult population has even more difficulties. Diseases such as osteochondrosis, thrombosis, all kinds of injuries, tumors are added to life's difficulties and troubles.

In older people, the body is very "worn out", so the resistance external factors is minimal. The likelihood of strokes, atherosclerosis, and neoplasms increases. To solve such problems, nootropic drugs have been created.

Nootropic drugs

The modern term "nootropic" has, oddly enough, a very ancient origin. His homeland is Ancient Greece. Literally translated, "the pursuit of thinking." There were indeed many unique philosophers among the Greeks. They appreciated wisdom and willingly shared knowledge with young people.

In nature, there are substances that can be called the original nootropics - this is the substance choline, which is very abundant in foods such as fish and eggs. After consuming food rich in protein, the brain produces serotonin, which is responsible for good mood, pleasure, a sense of the joy of life. The brain starts to work better.

The first artificially created nootropic appeared in the 60s of the 20th century in Belgium and became a real discovery in medicine. It was well known today in different countries under different names, nootropic drug "Piracetam". Having received positive results after using a nootropic drug, scientists did not stop only at this remedy. Development has continued in many countries and is ongoing. Currently, in the group of nootropic drugs, there are several dozen drugs that have passed clinical trials and a dozen are being tested.

Action of drugs

The main task of nootropic drugs is to influence the elements through which nerve cells communicate. All of these neurotransmitters must be active, which is not always the case. Sometimes situations arise that interfere with the movement of cells. Nootropic drugs make them active, making it easier for the brain. The most rapidly destroyed and slowly regenerated cells are nerve cells. Nootropics help protect them, provide oxygen, and increase blood flow to tissues.

Nootropic drugs contain substances that activate the process of biosynthesis of RNA and protein compounds in the human central nervous system. They are accelerators of energy processes in the cellular processes of the nervous system, help to reduce the number of free radicals, as a result of which they neutralize the negative effect of oxidants. Nootropic drugs help to optimize the removal of polysaccharides, which means they improve metabolic processes in the body. They are responsible for the formation of phospholipids and proteins in neurocytes, strengthening their membranes.

Important! Improving blood microcirculation and metabolic processes in brain cells, nootropic drugs work only in tissues with pathologies and do not affect healthy ones. In a word, nootropic drugs are suitable for both sick people for treatment and healthy people for health promotion.

There are among this type of nootropic drugs and those whose effectiveness is still questionable. Research on them continues, but drugs are actively used. For example, the nootropic drug "Phenotropil". Found application in sports as a strength stimulator for athletes. Given that doping is banned in the sports world, some pharmaceutical companies produce nootropic drugs under different names.

Expected effect

Based on the action of nootropic drugs, the expected effect is primarily associated with an increase in the cognitive capabilities of the body. Nootropic drugs are called “cognition stimulants” for a reason. Under the influence of nootropic drugs, the human brain becomes more active and susceptible to assimilation of new things, memory improves, and speech capabilities develop. In addition, the body receives additional sources to strengthen the immune and nervous system.

What's more, nootropics help burn fat. They have a particularly positive effect on children and the elderly. Children have increased creativity, intellectual activity, increased learning opportunities. In older people, nootropic drugs restore mental disorders.

Human life activity is very important these days. The world does not stand still and requires the same from a person: mobility, endless movement. If the body is depleted, the person feels constant weakness and lethargy, he cannot lead an active lifestyle, falls out of the general stream. This further suppresses the psyche of the individual. Nootropic drugs have such a necessary antiasthenic effect, making a person an active participant in violent modern life... They have a neuroprotective effect, that is, they regulate metabolic processes.

In modern science, there is no common opinion regarding the effects of nootropic drugs on the body. There are many positive opinions and no less negative opinions. No medicine can be a complete panacea.

Nootropics won't make anyone smarter or save them from exams. It would be surprising if a pill could modify intelligence that doesn't exist. Besides the cure, there must be diligence. The effect of each nootropic drug is very individual. Someone says that the new remedy has helped a lot, while another claims that the nootropic drug was pointless. Much depends on the organism, the type of human activity, his attitude to life and many more factors. One can argue endlessly about what nootropic drugs can do. Time will tell the truth. One thing is certain, nootropic drugs will help overcome certain difficulties. To accept them or not, to believe or doubt, depends on the patient.

In the United States and some Western European countries, nootropics are not treated as drugs. In the scientific literature in the West, nootropic drugs are called "cognitive enhancers" and are referred to as food supplements. Although, they use it very actively.

Classification

There are many types of nootropic drug classifications. Each is based on a certain criterion. Let's consider two main ones.

Among nootropic drugs, drugs of the old and new generations can be distinguished (in terms of the time of study and production). The older generation nootropic drugs include the previously mentioned Pyrocetam derivatives. They are called "racetams". Here you can name "Etiracetam", "Izacetam", "Oxiracetam" and many others. They have a broader scope.

In the late 20th - early 21st century, many new, more effective nootropic drugs were created. The most popular of them are: "Fezam", "Noopept", "Selank", "Phenylpiracetam". These nootropic drugs, unlike the previous ones, have a narrower effect and do not solve all problems at once. They include 2 or more substances that complement each other. Herbal extracts and plant extracts are added to them.

Nootropic drug " Phezam»Expands blood vessels, improving cerebral blood circulation, stimulates the activity of the brain regions responsible for hearing and vision. Helps to quickly restore vital functions of the brain after a stroke.

Nootropic drug " Noopept»Restores memory and enhances cognitive abilities. Normalizes the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Nootropic drug has withdrawal syndrome.

Nootropic drug " Selank»Improves mood, raises vitality, relieves anxiety and stress.

« Phenylpiracetam»Perfect for stroke survivors.

Nootropic drug " Vitrum memory"Is a vitamin complex intended for elderly people with mental disabilities. Available in capsules.

Nootropic drug "Etiracetam"

Since the late 90s of the last century medical institutions The United States began to use a completely new nootropic drug with antiepileptic effects. In the early 2000s, the drug appeared in Russia. According to Wikipedia, this drug has nootropic activity.

There is another classification of drugs, according to which they can also be subdivided into 2 groups: "true" nootropic drugs, which have one, classic effect, improving memory and speech. And "neuroprotectors" with a whole range of effects.

Indications for use

Initially, nootropic drugs were used only for the treatment of aging problems, since it was believed that the brain does not work as it should only in adulthood. Over time, having studied their effects in more detail, the field of application has expanded significantly.

Nootropic drugs are prescribed for the following pathologies:

• decline in mental and physical capabilities;
• weakening of the ability to think;
• memory impairment and decreased concentration;
• infections affecting the nervous system;
• aging processes;
• violation of speech functions;
• ischemic stroke;
• traumatic brain injury;
• enuresis;
• the effects of toxic substances on the brain;
• ophthalmic diseases (glaucoma, pathology of the retina);
• dizziness, migraine;
• epileptic disorders;
• chronic alcoholism.

Interesting! Nootropic drugs were part of the obligatory neurostimulants for preparing Soviet cosmonauts for flights.

Nootropic drugs are actively and effectively used in pediatrics to treat the following disorders in children:

• delayed speech development;
• mental retardation;
• generic lesions of the central nervous system;
• deviations in the development of the psyche;
• increased level of anxiety;
• attention deficit disorder.

Contraindications for use

Speaking about the use of nootropic drugs, like other drugs, one cannot but answer the question of how dangerous these drugs are and whether they are harmful.

The negative effect of nootropic drugs has not been recorded. Although, like any medication, nootropic drugs can have side effects. Some patients had an individual reaction to the drug, expressed in sleep disturbance at night, drowsiness during the day, allergic reactions, reactions from the gastrointestinal tract, surges in blood pressure. Some nootropic drugs can cause a condition close to alcohol intoxication. Most side effects occur with prolonged use of drugs or overdose. To eliminate such effects, it is enough to stop taking the nootropic drug.

Do not prescribe nootropic drugs to patients with the following developmental features:

• individual intolerance to the individual components of the nootropic drug;
• severe renal dysfunction;
• hemorrhagic stroke in the acute period;
• hereditary degenerative diseases of the central nervous system;
• pregnancy and lactation.

Release form

Nootropic drugs can be produced in tablets and capsules for taking with liquid, sublingual tablets (glycine), solutions for injections, syrups (pantogam), solutions for oral administration. Most of them have a dual option: pills and injections. What to choose depends on the characteristics of the body, the course of the disease, the patient's personal preference and the doctor's prescriptions.

Admission rules

Taking nootropic drugs should not be uncontrolled. Any medicine can become poison. This must be remembered. Before taking a nootropic drug in your mouth or giving an injection with a nootropic drug, it is imperative to consult a doctor. Since the scope of application of nootropic drugs is wide, you can consult with specialists of various medical professions: therapist, cardiologist, neurologist, pediatrician.

More often than others, psychiatrists and narcologists work with nootropic drugs. The appointment is made, then it feels like it. The medicine is "gone", we continue treatment with nootropic drugs. It is not accepted by the body, we stop taking it.

Important! Healing effect from the use of most nootropic drugs does not come immediately. They have a cumulative effect.

Piracetam

Nootropic drug Piracetam. It is still one of the most popular remedies. A nootropic drug is produced in two dosage forms: tablets and injection solution. It normalizes metabolic processes in the brain well, which means it helps to improve memory. This is one of the cheapest nootropic drugs in this group. Piracetam can be called an "ambulance" for relieving alcohol syndrome.

Pros of a nootropic drug:

• protects the brain from oxygen starvation and stress;
• helps with increased mental stress.

Minuses: Cannot be used for cerebral hemorrhage and renal failure.

Cavinton (Vinpocetine, Neurovin)

The nootropic drug can be in the form of tablets and injections. It is actively used in ophthalmology and neurology. Nootropic drug improves hearing acuity well.

Pros:

• a universal remedy with a wide spectrum of action;
• good tolerance by persons of any age.

Minus nootropic drug: when administered intravenously, it is administered very slowly.

Pantogam

the main thing active substance nootropic drug - hopantenic acid. Available in cherry-flavored syrup. It has been used successfully in the treatment of many disorders in children.

Pros: It combines a light stimulating effect and a mild sedative effect. Minus one, not recommended for impaired renal function.

Semax

Is it easy to guess that simple nasal drops can help improve the mind. But in this case it is. The nootropic drug Semax is administered intranasally, due to which it quickly overcomes the blood-brain barrier and acts for 24 hours. Practically does not give side effects.

Phenibut (Noobut, Bifren)

A nootropic drug can be in the form of tablets, powder, capsules. Fights memory impairment, normalizes sleep, relieves anxiety. Indispensable while traveling for those suffering from seasickness.

The negative side of the nootropic drug: enhances the effect of alcohol

Glycine

The nootropic drug is available in the form of sublingual tablets. Especially popular with students. The main "people's" assistant, which has a very low price, but is able to compete with the most expensive nootropic drugs. It is a purified amino acid, a building block for protein. Well tolerated by everyone and in any situations when the brain is "tired". It has no side effects and no overdose.

The only drawback of a nootropic drug is that it is not strong enough.

Encephabol

Tablets for adults, suspension for children. Nootropic drug improves learning ability, corrects behavioral functions.

Phenotropil

The nootropic drug is antiamnesic in nature, improves mood. It does not have a cumulative effect, it begins to act after the first dose. It has a beneficial effect on vision.

Minuses: May increase blood pressure. The nootropic drug is expensive. Dispensed in pharmacies with a doctor's prescription. Not suitable for treating children.

The nootropic drug has one effect, which is difficult to define as negative or positive. Phenotropil suppresses appetite. On the one hand, good. You can fight overweight and obesity. But, on the other hand, the desire not to gain extra pounds can end in anorexia.

Azafen

Nootropic drug eliminates depressive manifestations, helps to cope with negative environmental factors.

disadvantages: Available by prescription. May have side effects: insomnia, increased appetite.

The release form of the nootropic drug is capsules. The main property is an increase in learning ability. The price is quite high.

Thiocetam

A big plus of a nootropic drug is that it helps get rid of alcohol intoxication. It helps well to overcome speech disorders. The nootropic drug has an average price, it is quite affordable for use.

"Orocetam"

The nootropic drug is administered intravenously. Helps fight severe brain intoxication. The price is not great.

Nootropic drug is a compound of the famous "Pyrocetam" and "Thiotriosaline".

Properties of drugs

These are the main drugs on the Russian market for medical supplies.

How not to get confused in such a variety and get exactly what suits a particular person? First, a mandatory consultation with a doctor. Second, there is no absolutely universal nootropic drug. It is important to understand what exactly needs to be done. I need an antidepressant, so Acefen will do. Interested in the cumulative effect, buy the nootropic drug Nootropil, aka Piracetam. "Glycine" is safe for children with good sedative effect... Best of all will help in the elimination of memory lapses "Phenotropil". The nootropic drug "Semax" combines several actions in itself.

Prospects for nootropic drugs

Scientists believe that nootropic drugs have a great future. They will be able to influence the most difficult object of study, the human brain. Its possibilities are enormous and beyond. Humanity, even now, does not yet know everything about the capabilities of the brain. If you expand his abilities, maintain performance throughout his life, then you can create a person of the future with opportunities that we can only dream of and read in fantastic works.

The body and the brain will be able to do what is not yet possible. Gray matter forms over 18 years and only then starts to work with full dedication. The time of its active activity is very short. When scientists understand why this is happening and will be able to control these processes, then a superman will appear. Time will tell whether it is fantasy or really doable.