A clinical and neurophysiological trial on nootropic drugs in patients with mental decline

Acta Neurol (Napoli). 1991 Feb;13(1):1-12.

Abstract

The different expressions of mental decline in elderly people, from simple senile benign forgetfulness to SDAT, can be evaluated by psychometric and neurophysiological tests. In the present study, the effects of oxiracetam, piracetam and placebo were compared in a group of elderly subjects. The results of the trial, structured as single blind, clearly showed that nootropics positively effect both clinical and neurophysiological performances and that oxiracetam produces a more pronounced effect when compared to piracetam. In fact, oxiracetam was found more effective in improving psychometric scales such as GDS (clinical performances) as well as the amplitude and the latency of the P300 (neurophysiological performances), which reflect a functional recovery of the cerebral pathways related to attention and memory.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cognition Disorders / drug therapy
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Piracetam / adverse effects
  • Piracetam / therapeutic use*
  • Psychometrics
  • Psychotropic Drugs / adverse effects
  • Psychotropic Drugs / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrrolidines / adverse effects
  • Pyrrolidines / therapeutic use*
  • Single-Blind Method

Substances

  • Psychotropic Drugs
  • Pyrrolidines
  • oxiracetam
  • Piracetam