Age-associated memory impairment

Semlitsch HV, Anderer P, Saletu B, Binder GA, Decker KA. (1995). Cognitive psychophysiology in nootropic drug research effects of Ginkgo biloba on event-related potentials (P300) in age-associated memory impairment. Pharmacopsychiatry. 28(4) 134-42. 

In a study of age-associated memory impairment [Crook and Lakin 1991), using a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and three doses of ondansetron (10, 250, or 1,000 pg po bid), patients were treated for 12 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout period, with assessments being made at the initiation of, during, and at the termination of treatment. Behavioral rating scales and a computerized battery of tests related to learning and memory tasks of daily life were used to assess changes in cognitive performance. Ondansetron caused dose-related effects to enhance acquisition, name-face associa-... 

Crook T, Bartus RT, Ferris St. H, et al Age-associated memory impairment proposed diagnostic criteria and measures of clinical change— report of a National Institute of Health Work Group. Developmental Neuropsychology 2(4 261-276,... 

Mode of action. Piracetam is a drug with an unusual history. It was initially developed as a memory enhancing drug for use in age associated memory impairment and in the early stages of dementia. However, the efficacy of piracetam has proven to be contentious and it has not been licensed for such indications in either the UK or the USA. In 1978 the antimyoclonic effect of piracetam was demonstrated. This property has since been verified in several clinical trials. Levetiracetam is closely related chemically to the L-isomer of piracetam, but unlike piracetam it has a broader spectrum of action. The precise mode of action of piracetam is uncertain but there is experimental evidence that it acts as a metabolic stimulant that increases cerebral metabolism and the synthesis of ATP. How this relates to its antimyoclonic action, if at all, is unknown. 

Jorissen BL, Brouns F, Van Boxtel MP, Ponds RW, Verhey FR, Jolles J, Riedel WJ. The influence of soy-derived phosphatidylserine on cognition in age-associated memory impairment. Nutr Neurosci 2001 4 121-134. 

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