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Neurotoxicity of cognitive enhancers

nAON

Bluelight Crew
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Yes please.
Anyone know what the deal is with neurotoxicity of cognitive enhancers? Was thinking-racetams and stuff like noopept that act via AMPA potentiation could potentially cause glutamate excitotoxicity. Piracetam specifically has been proven to be fairly safe but as far as I know its a bit of a weird one with loads of mechanisms. I'm taking noopept occasionally currently and a bit more unsure about possible long-term effects.
 
I have always been under the impression racetams are believed to be neuroprotective... I dunno to be honest, it's why I have never dabbled with racetams.
 
I have always been under the impression racetams are believed to be neuroprotective... I dunno to be honest, it's why I have never dabbled with racetams.

Something can be neuroprotective and neurotoxic through different mechanisms at the same time, take THC.

As far as cognitive enhancers go, all the popular ones currently on the market haven't been shown to display any markers of neurotoxicity at typical doses, only (in many cases) neuroprotection. Some of the more powerful ampakines like IDRA-21 and possibly sunifiram may indeed be neurotoxic through that mechanism in somewhat high doses, but it has never been proven.
 
Something can be neuroprotective and neurotoxic through different mechanisms at the same time, take THC.

As far as cognitive enhancers go, all the popular ones currently on the market haven't been shown to display any markers of neurotoxicity at typical doses, only (in many cases) neuroprotection. Some of the more powerful ampakines like IDRA-21 and possibly sunifiram may indeed be neurotoxic through that mechanism in somewhat high doses, but it has never been proven.

Have their been clinical trials for any of the newer enhancers (other than piracetam), or is that based off of animal/biochemical data?
 
Have their been clinical trials for any of the newer enhancers (other than piracetam), or is that based off of animal/biochemical data?

Yeah, most of them have been through at least one clinical trial here and there for various assorted encephalopathies. Aniracetam, oxiracetam, phenylpiracetam, coluracetam and pramiracetam all have, with varying degrees of success for different conditions. The only ones I can think of offhand that haven't been formally tested in humans are Sunifiram, Unifiram and IDRA-21, along with some of the Modafinil derivatives that have just started floating around.
 
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