Compound or practice · Supplement
Citicoline (CDP-Choline)
A choline source with modest attention and memory data — the more evidence-backed of the popular cholinergics.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade C — 1 graded row
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Attention / memoryEvidence grade C
Modest
Smallmixed
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Attention / memory (grade C).
The evidence in words
What it is
Citicoline (CDP-choline) supplies choline for acetylcholine and for phosphatidylcholine in cell membranes. It is used for attention, memory, and as a stroke-recovery adjunct in some regions.
How it works
It boosts acetylcholine synthesis and membrane phospholipid turnover, supporting cholinergic neurotransmission and neuronal membrane integrity.
What the evidence shows
Small trials support modest improvements in attention and memory in healthy and impaired adults; stroke-recovery data are mixed. It is generally better-supported than alpha-GPC for cognition in healthy people, though effects are small.
How to use it
250–500 mg/day, sometimes split. Often paired with caffeine.
Safety & interactions
Well tolerated; occasional headache or GI upset.
Bottom line
The choline donor with the most reasonable cognition evidence. 250–500 mg/day for a small attention/memory nudge.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- 250–500 mg/day.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Bacopa MonnieriThe nootropic that actually improves memory — but slowly, over 8–12 weeks, not on the day you take it.Evidence grade B
- Citicoline (CDP-Choline) for Attention / memoryEvidence grade C — ModestEvidence grade C
- Citicoline (CDP-Choline): dosage and how to take it250–500 mg/day.Evidence grade C
- Citicoline (CDP-Choline): side effects, safety & interactionsWell tolerated; occasional headache or GI upset.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.