NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Aniracetam

Fat-soluble racetam studied for dementia, not proven in healthy users.

Preliminary evidence 🧠Nootropic

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
6 verified / 6
Classification
Nootropic
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: older small RCTs show benefit only in people with diagnosed dementia or cognitive impairment, the studies are dated and largely from the manufacturer's era, and well-controlled work finds no cognitive boost in healthy users — the main marketed claim. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Aniracetam?

Aniracetam is a nootropic used for memory in dementia. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Aniracetam is a fat-soluble member of the racetam family, sold as a cognitive supplement but never approved as a drug in the US (it was a prescription product in parts of Europe and Japan). The human evidence is modest and old. A 6-month double-blind trial in 109 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's-type dementia found aniracetam (1,500 mg/day) improved psychobehavioural scores versus placebo, which steadily worsened. A comparative open study (n≈58 on aniracetam) suggested it held cognition steady better than cholinesterase inhibitors in mildly impaired patients. Against this, a rigorous crossover RCT in solvent-induced cognitive syndrome found no benefit, and controlled work indicates no enhancement in people without cognitive impairment. There is no modern meta-analysis isolating aniracetam, and no convincing data supporting its main marketed use as a brain booster in healthy adults.

Purported Benefits

✓Memory in dementia
✓Mood & emotional regulation
✓Attention (impaired adults)
✓Possible anxiety reduction

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Memory in dementia (SDAT)Old 6-mo RCT (n=109) improved psychobehavioural scores; supporting study open-label, no modern data. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 2
Cognition in solvent-induced syndromeRigorous crossover RCT found no benefit; only 1 of 19 tests favoured the drug. Preliminary — no effect · negligible 1
Cognitive enhancement in healthy adultsNo human trial supports nootropic use in non-impaired people; mouse data null. No Evidence — no effect

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Studied at 1,000–1,500 mg/day (often split, taken with food/fat to aid absorption); not an approved drug in the US.
Active Compounds
Aniracetam (1-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-2-pyrrolidinone)

Safety & Cautions

Generally well tolerated in short trials; reported effects include anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, GI upset and skin rash, especially at higher doses. It is not an approved drug in the US and is sold as an unregulated supplement of variable purity. Because it modulates glutamate/AMPA signalling and is metabolised by CYP enzymes (with anisic-acid metabolites), caution is warranted alongside other CNS-active drugs (antidepressants, sedatives, stimulants, anticholinergics) and in anyone with seizure risk; safety in pregnancy, breastfeeding and long-term use is unstudied. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Aniracetam with any medicine.

Key Studies

RCT Koliaki 2012 ✓ PubMed
Open comparative study: aniracetam-treated patients (n=58) maintained cognition at 3/6/12 mo, outperforming cholinesterase inhibitors at 6 mo in mild dementia.
RCT Senin 1991 ✓ PubMed
6-month double-blind RCT (n=109, mild-moderate SDAT): 1,500 mg/day improved psychobehavioural scores vs placebo, which deteriorated.
RCT Lerner 1990 ✓ PubMed
Double-blind crossover RCT (n=44, 1 g/day, 3 mo each): no benefit for chronic psychosyndrome from organic-solvent exposure; only 1 of 19 tests favoured drug.
Review Vaglini 2024 ✓ Full text
Mechanistic model: proposes aniracetam may curb amyloid-β via BDNF and mGluR-driven α-secretase activity; no human amyloid data exists.
Review Elston 2018 ✓ Full text
Oral aniracetam in mice without pre-existing deficits produced no changes in learning, memory, anxiety or stereotypy.
Review Lee 1994 ✓ Full text
Review: aniracetam 1,500 mg/day beat piracetam 2,400 mg/day on 8 of 18 cognitive tests and beat placebo at 4 and 6 months in SDAT patients.
6 sources cited · 6 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Aniracetam

What is Aniracetam used for?

Aniracetam is most often taken for Memory in dementia, Mood & emotional regulation, Attention (impaired adults), Possible anxiety reduction. Fat-soluble racetam studied for dementia, not proven in healthy users.

Does Aniracetam work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Aniracetam is a fat-soluble member of the racetam family, sold as a cognitive supplement but never approved as a drug in the US (it was a prescription product in parts of Europe and Japan). The human evidence is modest and old. A 6-month double-blind trial in 109 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's-type dementia found aniracetam (1,500 mg/day) improved psychobehavioural scores versus placebo, which steadily worsened. A comparative open study (n≈58 on aniracetam) suggested it held cognition steady better than cholinesterase inhibitors in mildly impaired patients. Against this, a rigorous crossover RCT in solvent-induced cognitive syndrome found no benefit, and controlled work indicates no enhancement in people without cognitive impairment. There is no modern meta-analysis isolating aniracetam, and no convincing data supporting its main marketed use as a brain booster in healthy adults.

What is the typical dose of Aniracetam?

Studied at 1,000–1,500 mg/day (often split, taken with food/fat to aid absorption); not an approved drug in the US.

Is Aniracetam safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally well tolerated in short trials; reported effects include anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, GI upset and skin rash, especially at higher doses. It is not an approved drug in the US and is sold as an unregulated supplement of variable purity. Because it modulates glutamate/AMPA signalling and is metabolised by CYP enzymes (with anisic-acid metabolites), caution is warranted alongside other CNS-active drugs (antidepressants, sedatives, stimulants, anticholinergics) and in anyone with seizure risk; safety in pregnancy, breastfeeding and long-term use is unstudied.

How many studies support Aniracetam?

NutriDex cites 6 sources for Aniracetam, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Aniracetam: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/aniracetam

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_aniracetam,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Aniracetam: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/aniracetam},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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