Coluracetam
A racetam originally developed as a candidate for Alzheimer's disease and later trialled for major depression with anxiety. Human efficacy for cognitive enhancement is unproven; it is sold as a research chemical.
01 Overview
Coluracetam (BCI-540 / MKC-231) is notable for being a high-affinity choline uptake enhancer studied by pharmaceutical developers before being licensed to a psychiatric drug company, which ran a phase 2a trial in treatment-resistant depression with comorbid anxiety. It failed to meet its primary endpoint.
It is now sold as a research chemical and taken by nootropics users for claimed memory and visual-perception effects. Published human cognitive data in healthy people is essentially absent.
02 Mechanism
Enhances high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) into neurons, potentially sustaining acetylcholine synthesis even under conditions that would otherwise impair it.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 3–10 mg | Oral | |
| Common | 20–80 mg/day | Oral | Sublingual use is common in anecdotal reports. |
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced choline uptakeDemonstrated in animal models; behavioural translation to healthy humans not established. | Preclinical | ||
| Subjective visual and mood changesUsers report heightened colour/contrast perception; not clinically documented. | Anecdotal |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FatigueSome users report tiredness rather than stimulation. | Mild | Uncommon | Anecdotal | |
| HeadacheAs with other racetams. | Mild | Uncommon | Anecdotal |