Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by mild memory loss without significant effects on other cognitive functions. Approximately 12% of these patients progress to Alzheimer's disease each year, making it important to find medications that can prevent or slow the development of dementia. Memory training programs using relaxation techniques, repetition of facts, information, or images, categorization of information, and use of mnemonic rules may be effective. Medications that improve cognitive abilities include piracetam, selegiline, vitamin E, Ginkgo biloba extract, estrogens, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and memantine. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether citicoline could be effective in this clinical setting.
Method: Citicoline has been shown to improve scores on learning and memory tests in several animal models. Similarly, citicoline has been shown to improve memory and other cognitive functions in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease or dementia, as well as in older people with memory impairment without dementia. In addition, based on a meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration, researchers concluded that citicoline improves memory, behavior, and overall clinical impression in older people with chronic brain diseases.
Conclusion: Citicoline may be effective in treating MCI, although further studies are needed to verify whether the effect persists in the long term and whether it succeeds in slowing the progression of dementia.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12389156/
