Compound · aniracetam
T2Nootropic

Aniracetam

Fat-soluble AMPAkine with dual mechanism. Positively modulates AMPA receptor desensitization kinetics while simultaneously acting on metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1/5), enhancing long-term potentiation. Also modulates dopaminergic and serotonergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex, which contributes to its anxiolytic and creativity-enhancing reputation.

Half-life
1-2.5 hours
Bioavailability
~8-12% (oral, fat-soluble, take with lipids)
Route
oral
Evidence tier
T2 — Single-RCT or mechanistic
Optimization pillars
cellular-health
References
3 peer-reviewed
Dose ranges

Three tiers ordered by aggressiveness. Tier chips on every OPTIMIZE intervention let you filter the catalog by your evidence tolerance.

conservative
400–750 mg 2x/day
Anxiolytic focus
moderate
750 mg 2x/day
Standard nootropic dose
aggressive
750–1500 mg 2x/day
High-output creative work
Monitoring
  • alt
  • ast
  • creatinine
Contraindications
  • severe-hepatic-impairment
  • pregnancy
References
  • PMID:8199398The nootropic concept and its prospective implicationsDrug Dev Res, 1994
  • PMID:11597608Effects of aniracetam on extracellular levels of transmitter amino acids in the prefrontal cortexEur J Pharmacol, 2001
  • PMID:12507572Aniracetam restores object recognition impaired by age, scopolamine, and MK-801Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 2002
Notes

Aniracetam is the racetam you reach for when the problem is not memory but creative throughput. The anxiolytic edge gives it a profile piracetam does not have. 1.5-hour half-life means you are dosing twice daily minimum. Fat-soluble means empty-stomach dosing is wasted money. Take it with a meal. The Japanese prescribe it for post-stroke cognitive recovery. The biohacking community uses it for ideation sessions. Both applications are pharmacologically valid.

This is not medical advice

Discuss with a licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any compound. This page documents what the research literature describes — it is not a prescription.

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