science

Phenylpiracetam

Phenylpiracetam is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Phenylpiracetam rather than just read about it. In short: Phenylpiracetam, also known as fonturacetam (INNTooltip International nonproprietary name) and sold under the brand names Phenotropil, Actitropil, and Carphedon among others, is a stimulant and nootropic medication used in Russia and certain other Eastern European countries in the treatment of cerebrovascular deficiency, depression, apathy, attention, and memory problems, among other indications. It is also used in…

Key takeaways

Phenylpiracetam belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Phenylpiracetam to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Phenylpiracetam from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Phenylpiracetam, also known as fonturacetam (INNTooltip International nonproprietary name) and sold under the brand names Phenotropil, Actitropil, and Carphedon among others, is a stimulant and nootropic medication used in Russia and certain other Eastern European countries in the treatment of cerebrovascular deficiency, depression, apathy, attention, and memory problems, among other indications. It is also used in Russian cosmonauts to improve physical, mental, and cognitive abilities. The drug is taken by mouth. Side effects of phenylpiracetam include sleep disturbances among others. The mechanism of action of phenylpiracetam was originally unknown. However, it was discovered that (R)-phenylpiracetam is a selective atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor in 2014. In addition, phenylpiracetam interacts with certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Chemically, phenylpiracetam is a racetam and phenethylamine and is structurally related to piracetam. Phenylpiracetam was first described in 1983 by Bobkov Iu, et al. It was approved for medical use in Russia in 2003. Development of (R)-phenylpiracetam (code name MRZ-9547) in the West as a potential treatment for fatigue related to Parkinson's disease began by 2014. In addition to its medical use, phenylpiracetam is sold online as a nootropic.

Medical uses Phenylpiracetam is used in the treatment of a variety of different medical conditions. It is specifically approved in Russia for treatment of cerebrovascular deficiency, depression, apathy, attention deficits, and memory decline. It is used to improve symptoms following encephalopathy, brain injury, and glioma surgery. The drug has been reported to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, asthenia, and fatigue, as well as to improve cognitive performance and memory. It also has anticonvulsant effects and has been used as an add-on therapy in epilepsy. Phenylpiracetam is typically prescribed as a general stimulant or to increase tolerance to extreme temperatures and stress. Clinical use of phenylpiracetam has shown to be more potent than piracetam and is used for a wider-range of indications. A few small clinical studies have shown possible links between prescription of phenylpiracetam and improvement in a number of encephalopathic conditions, including lesions of cerebral blood pathways, traumatic brain injury and certain types of glioma. Clinical trials were conducted at the Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. The Serbsky Center, Moscow Institute of Psychiatry, and Russian Center of Vegetative Pathology are reported to have confirmed the effectiveness of phenylpiracetam describing the following effects: improvement of regional blood flow in ischemic regions of the brain, reduction of depressive and anxiety disorders, increase the resistance of brain tissue to hypoxia and toxic effects, improving concentration and mental activity, a psycho-activating effect, increase in the threshold of pain sensitivity, improvement in the quality of sleep, and an anticonvulsant action, though with the side effect of an anorexic effect in extended use.

Available forms Phenylpiracetam is available in the form of 100 mg oral tablets.

Contraindications Phenylpiracetam has a number of contraindications, such as individual intolerance.

Side effects Side effects of phenylpiracetam include insomnia or sleep disturbances, psychomotor agitation, flushing, a feeling of warmth, and increased blood pressure, among others.

Overdoses Overdose has not been reported.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics Phenylpiracetam is a racetam and is described as a stimulant. Racetams have a variety of different pharmacological activities and have varying effects. For example, phenylpiracetam is a stimulant, piracetam is a nootropic, and levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant. The mechanisms of action of most racetams, with some exceptions, are unknown. Phenylpiracetam is a racemic mixture. (R)-Phenylpiracetam is the most active enantiomer and is much more potent in stimulating locomotor activity than (S)-phenylpiracetam, which is ineffective. However, (S)-phenylpiracetam retains some activity in most pharmacological tests. On the other hand, in one animal test, the passive avoidance test, (S)-phenylpiracetam appeared to be antagonistic of (R)-phenylpiracetam.

Dopamine reuptake inhibitor Experiments performed on Sprague-Dawley rats in a European patent for using phenylpiracetam to treat sleep disorders showed an increase in extracellular dopamine levels after administration. The patent asserts discovery of phenylpiracetam's action as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor as its basis.

The peculiarity of this invention compared to former treatment approaches for treating sleep disorders is the so far unknown therapeutic efficacy of (R)-phenylpiracetam, which is presumably based at least in part on the newly identified activity of (R)-phenylpiracetam as the dopamine re-uptake inhibitor Both enantiomers of phenylpiracetam, (R)-phenylpiracetam and (S)-phenylpiracetam, have been described in peer-reviewed research as dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitors in rodents, confirming the patent claim. Their actions at the norepinephrine transporter (NET) vary: (R)-phenylpiracetam acts as a dual norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), with 11-fold lower affinity for the NET than for the DAT, whereas the (S)-enantiomer is selective for the DAT. However, whereas (R)-phenylpiracetam stimulates locomotor activity, (S)-phenylpiracetam does not do so. This kind of variation in effects has also been seen with other dopamine reuptake inhibitors. Other atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitors include modafinil, mesocarb (Sydnocarb), and solriamfetol.

Other actions Phenylpiracetam binds to α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the mouse brain cortex with an IC50Tooltip half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 5.86 μM. Racetams generally, but including phenylpiracetam, have been described as AMPA receptor potentiators.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phenylpiracetam

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phenylpiracetam claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Phenylpiracetam before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Phenylpiracetam ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Phenylpiracetam

In research: Phenylpiracetam appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Phenylpiracetam in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Phenylpiracetam is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Acetamides, Anticonvulsants, Antidepressants, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phenylpiracetam outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Phenylpiracetam in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phenylpiracetam means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Phenylpiracetam out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phenylpiracetam in simple terms?

Why does Phenylpiracetam matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Phenylpiracetam?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Phenylpiracetam.