Copiracetam can be used as a nootropic drug to treat memory and intellectual impairments caused by senile dementia, mild to moderate vascular dementia, trauma and other diseases, and to promote children's intellectual development; it also has antidepressant effects.
Pharmacology
Copiracetam has the ability to improve cognition by participating in the HACU process, increasing the rate-limiting step of synaptic intake of choline to synthesize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and increasing the activity of cholinergic neurons.
in vitro
Coluracetam (10(-10)-10(-6) moll), also known as MKC-231, significantly increased high affinity choline uptake (HACU) when it was incubated with the hippocampal synaptosomes of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion (AF64A) treated rats, but not of normal rats. MKC-231 did not affect the AChE activity, [3H]- quinuclidinyl benzilate binding, and [3H]-pirenzepine binding.
