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Citicoline: New Food For The Brain

By Dr. Toshi Kamiya, PhD

Memory consists of the following components - the implantation of information in the brain or memorization, retention and recollection. Without these elements, information cannot be established as memory. We all experience moments in our daily lives when we wonder if our memory is failing us. Brain function plays a key role in how much energy we have at the age of 69 while playing 18 holes of golf, how we handle stress at age 20 while studying for a school exam, or whether our immune system is working optimally.

How can we stay mentally sharp and improve our memory? Can the activities of our nerves controlling memory be enhanced? What exactly is nerve activity? Where does the brain store memory? The brain consists of a network of nerves filling the cranial cavity of the skull. It functions as the center of the nervous system and the seat of consciousness, intelligence and of willed and reflex actions. The nerves are excited electrically so information is transmitted from one nerve to the other during the period of excitement. This mechanism is also believed to be responsible for the act of memory itself.

Memorization in the brain occurs in the hippocampus, where acetylcholinergic nerves are widely distributed and where activity is believed to be important for memory function. Acetylcholine is vital for communication between neurons, particularly in the brain. A deficit of acetylcholine, a powerful neurotransmitter responsible for storing and recalling memories, has been linked to a number of neurological conditions.

One explanation is a decrease in the enzyme that converts choline into acetylcholine in the brain. Citicoline has been shown to raise the amount of acetylcholine.

Citicoline, a dietary supplement ingredient, is a precursor of phosphatidylcholine, a type of phospholipid that is a component of cell membranes. When the body absorbs Citicoline, it is broken down into uridine and choline. Citicoline reforms in the brain and is used as raw material for phosphatidylcholine synthesis. It is believed that Citicoline stabilizes the membranes of neuronal cells through the metabolic pathway and inhibits the formation of free fatty acids, substances exhibiting cytotoxicity. Citicoline is also converted to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Research indicates Citicoline has a targeted action for increasing brain phospholipid synthesis. Citicoline is absorbed as a form of its hydrolyzed products, uridine and choline. Within the brain, neuronal cells convert uridine into cytidine, which reacts with choline to produce Citicoline. Citicoline then moves into the metabolic pathway of phosphatidylcholine production in the brain.

Citicoline is found naturally in the body and has been shown to be harmless in the clinical pathology of actual subjects.

Citicoline has been used extensively for the promotion of optimal neural and cognitive function. Numerous scientific studies have shown that Citicoline may be an effective alternative to phosphatidylcholine and has a measurable effect on memory for healthy individuals as well improving mild memory problems associated with aging. Citicoline, also known as Cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine and CDPcholine, has a widespread, but not exclusive use in brain health. The many years of use have caused an evolution in dosage, method of administration and selection of patients to which citicoline was given. Design of clinical studies, including the length of observation, severity of disease and methodology of evaluation of the results are also varied. Citicoline is frequently used as a pharmaceutical drug in many European countries and Japan for cognitive impairment and brain metabolism activations, especially when the clinical picture is predominantly one of cerebrovascular disease.

There have been many studies citing positive results for using Citicoline to improve memory and performance.

Kyowa Hakko conducted a Citicoline study using a Morris water maze (cylindrical water-filled pool with hidden platform at a depth of 0.5cm) to research the memory capacity of mice. The study involving 40 eight week-old male mice focused on the tendency of mice to memorize the platform location and to mount it from the water. The device measured the subject's memorization and learning capacities.

Although at the start of training, mice exhibited a tendency to swim randomly around the pool structure, they learned the location of the platform after repeated training. After this, the mice were kept in the cages for four weeks without training. During this period, half the mice were fed a diet containing 2% Citicoline. Mice who ingested Citicoline remembered how to reach the submerged platform better than control mice, thus exhibiting enhanced memory-related abilities. The study also showed that because both groups of mice were swimming at the same speed during the test, Citicoline did not appear to affect mobility.

The double-blind placebo controlled study conducted by A. Capurso in 1996, and reviewed in the Cochran Database of Systemic Reviews, consisted of 31 patients was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Citicoline on chronic cerebrovascular disease. Several memory scores were improved in the Citicoline treated group. There were improvements in all four areas explored-emotional, mental and motor functions and common dementia symptoms. Patients treated with Citicoline demonstrated a significant improvement in cognitive functions, while the placebo-treated patients did not show any significant trend. Citicoline was well tolerated and showed no significant adverse effects.

The human brain is a delicate organ of the body, constantly being attacked by various factors of our lifestyle including environmental pollution, internal toxicity, stress and a lack of proper diet and nutrients. Citicoline may help combat the ravages of these effects by stimulating the nervous system process to maintain optimum sustainability to retain our ability to think cognitively and retain our memories.

M. Fioravani and M. Yanagi of the University of Rome in Rome, Italy, conducted a review of seven studies whereby the objective was to assess the efficacy of Citicoline in the treatment of cognitive, emotional and behavioral deficits associated with aging. The two reviewers independently researched data and found while there was no significant evidence of a beneficial effect of Citicoline on attention, there was significant, beneficial effects of Citicoline on memory function and behavior and the ingredient was well tolerated. The reviewers concluded that Citicoline has a positive effect on memory and behavior in the short term. The evidence also shows that the effect of treatment is more homogenous for patients with cognitive impairment secondary to cerebrovascular disorder.

Kyowa Hakko has developed new commercial production techniques of Citicoline using fermentation technology and is pursuing additional research. Nevertheless, studies should be conducted with this compound in patients who are experiencing memory loss or other forms of cognitive impairment.

To the extent that Citicoline supports healthy brain cell function and improves mild memory problems associated with aging is a positive sign.