NR-012
Ingredient Atlas entry · Compound
Citicoline
Also called CDP-choline, a compound the body makes itself
A compound the body makes itself, also sold as a supplement and given as a medicine in some countries. It is studied mostly for thinking skills, recovery after a stroke or head injury, and the eye's nerves in glaucoma, often in hospital patients. Here is every study in people we could find, sorted from each study's summary.
- Also called: CDP-choline
- Most tested: 1,000 mg a day
- Given by mouth, drip or injection
The research map
From every paper to the studies that matter
Much of the research on citicoline is lab and animal work. Only a small share tests it in people, mostly in people with a long-term condition or recovering in hospital, and that is what this page is about.
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1,996 papers mention citicoline.Every record in PubMed, all years
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282 are about people.The rest: 1,094 lab and animal studies, 219 reviews, 401 on chemistry, farming and more
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218 give citicoline on its own.31 more test it with other ingredients or inside a blend
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62 are randomised against a placebo.Randomised controlled trials In a randomised controlled trial, people are put into groups by chance, one taking the treatment and one a placebo or other comparison. Chance spreads differences such as age and health evenly, so a difference between the groups is more likely to be down to the treatment., the strongest kind of study
Bar lengths use a square-root scale so the small numbers stay visible.
At a glance
How much research there is
- 218 studies giving citicoline to people
- 62 of them randomised against a placebo A placebo-controlled trial compares a real treatment with a dummy that looks the same, the placebo. People often feel better when they expect to, so comparing against a placebo shows how much of the change comes from the treatment itself.
- 23,097 people taking part, where studies say
- 53 systematic reviews A systematic review searches for every study on a question in a set, written-down way, judges the quality of each and sums up what they show together. Many include a meta-analysis. The Atlas lists these as pooled reviews. pooling the trials
Studies in people, by year published
Citicoline on its own, by any route.
Randomised, placebo-controlled
Other designs
What was measured
What the studies looked at
Each study can measure several things. Choose a topic to see its studies in the list below.
Studies in people with a diagnosed condition are counted here and listed with their population. We describe what they measured, not what they might treat. Most studies also report safety; see below.
Doses and extracts
What was tested, and how much
Citicoline is a single compound, so milligrams compare directly from one study to the next. Many studies gave it by drip or injection in hospital rather than by mouth, so check the route when you compare doses. Most gave it every day for weeks or months.
Daily amount, one dot per study
Summary read126 studies don't give a daily amount in their summary and aren't shown.
Studies per extract
Named extracts are the maker's brand. "Not named" means the study didn't say.
Have a label to check? Work out the choline in your own label
Every study
All studies in people
Filter the list, then open a study on PubMed. Each row comes from the study's published summary.
| Study | Who took part | People | Extract and daily dose | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marano 2026RCT, placebo | Parkinson's disease patients on dopaminergic therapy | 474 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 24 weeks |
| Turan 2026Non-randomised controlled | School-age children with attention difficulties | 174 | Not named | – |
| Tsitlidze 2026Non-randomised controlled | Cardiac surgery patients | 104 | Not named | – |
| Fellner 2026Non-randomised controlled | Retinal detachment patients after vitrectomy | 96 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Nawaz 2026RCT, active or other control | Neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy | 70 | Not named | – |
| Bavali Oleyayi 2026RCT, placebo | Adults with mild-to-moderate TBI | 60 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 13 weeks |
| Badre 2026RCT, active or other control | Adults with moderate TBI | 45 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Fransisca 2026Single-arm or open-label | Post-stroke patients with visual impairment | 30 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Li 2026Single-arm or open-label | Subcortical ischemic stroke patients on antiplatelet plus citicoline | 18 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Zare 2025RCT, active or other control | Children with autism spectrum disorder | 101 | Not named | 9 weeks |
| Wu 2025Non-randomised controlled | Vascular dementia after cerebral infarction | 98 | Not named | – |
| Parisi 2025RCT, placebo | Open-angle glaucoma patients | 29 | Neurotidine, 500 mg | 52 weeks |
| John 2025RCT, active or other control | Chronic spinal cord injury patients | 23 | Not named | 104 weeks |
| Tomić 2025Observational | Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients | – | Omk1On the skin | 52 weeks |
| Gareri 2024Non-randomised controlled | Alzheimer's or mixed dementia on standard drugs | 295 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Hübner 2024Crossover, placebo | Children aged 7-12 with ADHD | – | Not named | – |
| Almeria 2023Single-arm or open-label | Adults 50-75 with subjective or mild cognitive impairment | 81 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Salamah 2023RCT, placebo | Neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy | 80 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Mahmoodkhani 2023RCT, placebo | Severe and moderate TBI patients | 69 | Not named | – |
| Arrico 2023Other | Glaucoma patients | – | Not named | – |
| Rossetti 2023Crossover, placebo | Open-angle glaucoma patients | – | Not named, 500 mg | 13 weeks |
| Anton 2022RCT, active or other control | Glaucoma patients | 73 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Sahin 2022Non-randomised controlled | Primary open angle glaucoma patients | 54 | Not named, 250 mg | 12 weeks |
| Premi 2022RCT, active or other control | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 30 | Rischiaril Forte, 1,000 mg | 8 weeks |
| Aidelbaum 2022RCT, placebo | Chronic schizophrenia patients | – | Not named | – |
| Agarwal 2022RCT, placebo | Acute ischemic stroke after recanalisation | – | Not named, 2,000 mg | 6 weeks |
| Silva-Palacios 2022RCT, placebo | STEMI patients undergoing angioplasty | – | Not named | – |
| Castagna 2021Non-randomised controlled | Older Alzheimer's disease patients on standard drugs | 170 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Castagna 2021Non-randomised controlled | Older Alzheimer's disease patients on standard drugs | 104 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Nakazaki 2021RCT, placebo | Older adults with age-associated memory impairment | 100 | Cognizin, 500 mg | 12 weeks |
| Kuryata 2021Non-randomised controlled | Ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation | 86 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Selezneva 2021Single-arm or open-label | First-degree relatives of Alzheimer's patients with cognitive decline | 82 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 12 weeks |
| Salamah 2021RCT, active or other control | Children after cardiac arrest | 80 | Not named | 6 weeks |
| Nemkova 2021Non-randomised controlled | Adults 18-45 with mild cognitive impairment | 58 | Recognan, 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Nemkova 2021RCT, active or other control | Adults 18-50 with mild cognitive impairment | 54 | Recognan, 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Jeong 2021RCT, placebo | Methamphetamine-dependent patients | 44 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 8 weeks |
| Arcadi 2021Non-randomised controlled | Post-stroke depression patients | 44 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Khushdil 2021Single-arm or open-label | Neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy | 20 | Not named | – |
| Loebis 2021Observational | Children with refractive amblyopia | – | Not named | – |
| Gareri 2020Non-randomised controlled | Older patients with Alzheimer's or mixed dementia | 126 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Cinar 2020Non-randomised controlled | Patients after LASIK surgery | 93 | OMK1On the skin | 13 weeks |
| Rossetti 2020RCT, placebo | Progressing open-angle glaucoma patients | 80 | Not namedOn the skin | 156 weeks |
| Al-Kuraishy 2020RCT, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 40 | Not named, 500 mg | 2 weeks |
| Nemkova 2020Non-randomised controlled | Adults with mild cognitive impairment and asthenia | 38 | Recognan, 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Hall 2020Single-arm or open-label | Adults with FXTAS | 10 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Cinar 2019RCT, active or other control | Patients after LASIK surgery | 156 | Not namedOn the skin | 4 weeks |
| Mehta 2019Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 100 | Not named | 13 weeks |
| McGlade 2019RCT, placebo | Healthy adolescent males | 75 | Cognizin | 4 weeks |
| Brown 2019RCT, placebo | Adults with alcohol use disorder | 62 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 12 weeks |
| Lanza 2019RCT, active or other control | Primary open-angle glaucoma patients | 60 | Not named | 104 weeks |
| Chutko 2019Single-arm or open-label | Adults with somatoform disorders | 46 | Recognan | – |
| Nemkova 2019RCT, active or other control | Adults with asthenic syndrome | 38 | Recognan, 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Parisi 2019RCT, active or other control | Non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy patients | 36 | Not named, 500 mg | 26 weeks |
| Carnevale 2019Pharmacokinetic | Patients with epiretinal membrane awaiting vitrectomy | 26 | OMK1 (citicoline 2% eye drops)On the skin | 2 weeks |
| Chițu 2019Single-arm or open-label | Glaucoma patients | 22 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Parisi 2019Single-arm or open-label | Open-angle glaucoma patients | 12 | OMK1-LFOn the skin | 17 weeks |
| Trimmel 2018Non-randomised controlled | Severe TBI patients | 134 | Not named | 26 weeks |
| Ghajar 2018RCT, placebo | Stable schizophrenia patients on risperidone | 73 | Not named, 2,500 mg | 8 weeks |
| Nemkova 2018RCT, active or other control | University students and teachers | 58 | Recognan, 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Aidelbaum 2018RCT, placebo | Schizophrenia patients | – | Not named | – |
| Castro-Gago 2018Other | Patient with choline kinase beta deficiency | – | Not named | – |
| Mashin 2017Observational | Chronic cerebrovascular disease patients with cognitive impairment | 736 | Recognan, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Gareri 2017Non-randomised controlled | Older Alzheimer's disease patients on cholinesterase inhibitors | 448 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 39 weeks |
| Mashin 2017Single-arm or open-label | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 79 | Recognan, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Roohi-Azizi 2017RCT, placebo | Major depressive disorder patients on citalopram | 50 | Not named, 200 mg | 6 weeks |
| Feng 2017Non-randomised controlled | Leukoaraiosis patients | 30 | Not named, 600 mg | 52 weeks |
| Sabetti 2017Non-randomised controlled | Amblyopia patients with Bangerter filter | – | Not named | 52 weeks |
| Castagna 2016Non-randomised controlled | Older patients with Alzheimer's or mixed dementia | 174 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 39 weeks |
| Alvarez-Sabín 2016RCT, active or other control | First ischemic stroke patients | 163 | Not named | 104 weeks |
| Мushba 2016Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 60 | Not named | – |
| Brown 2015RCT, placebo | Outpatients with bipolar I disorder and cocaine dependence | 130 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Ghosh 2015Non-randomised controlled | Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients | 100 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Parisi 2015RCT, active or other control | Open-angle glaucoma patients | 56 | OMK1On the skin | 17 weeks |
| Knott 2015Crossover, placebo | Healthy male volunteers | 24 | Not named | – |
| Knott 2015Crossover, placebo | Healthy male volunteers | 24 | Not named | – |
| Gruber 2015RCT, placebo | Treatment-seeking chronic marijuana smokers | 19 | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Lay-Son Rivas 2015Other | Patient with carbon monoxide encephalopathy | 1 | Not named | – |
| Zhuravin 2015Single-arm or open-label | Elderly with mild cognitive impairment | – | Ceraxon | – |
| Galkin 2014Non-randomised controlled | Stroke patients with neglect syndrome | 120 | Ceraxon | – |
| Rubtsova 2014Other | Children with hypoxic-ischemic CNS lesions | 76 | Ceraxon | – |
| Shokouhi 2014RCT, placebo | Severe diffuse axonal injury patients | 58 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Nasiri 2014Non-randomised controlled | Children with cerebral palsy | 50 | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Roberti 2014RCT, active or other control | Glaucoma patients | 34 | OMK1On the skin | 9 weeks |
| Knott 2014Crossover, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 24 | Not named | – |
| Pawar 2014RCT, active or other control | Children with amblyopia | – | Not named | 52 weeks |
| Cotroneo 2013Non-randomised controlled | Elderly with mild vascular cognitive impairment | 349 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 39 weeks |
| Alvarez-Sabín 2013RCT, active or other control | First-ever ischemic stroke patients | 347 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Shmelev 2013Other | Patients after carotid endarterectomy | 238 | Ceraxon | – |
| Ottobelli 2013Single-arm or open-label | Progressing glaucoma patients | 41 | Not named | 104 weeks |
| Popugaev 2013Non-randomised controlled | Neurosurgical patients with postoperative delirium | 20 | Ceraxon | – |
| Dávalos 2012RCT, placebo | Moderate-to-severe acute ischemic stroke patients | 2,298 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 6 weeks |
| Zafonte 2012RCT, placebo | Complicated mild to severe TBI patients | 1,213 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 13 weeks |
| Martynov 2012Non-randomised controlled | Moderate ischemic stroke patients | 141 | Ceraxon | – |
| Brown 2012RCT, placebo | Bipolar or unipolar depression with methamphetamine dependence | 60 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 12 weeks |
| Vaizova 2012Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 52 | Not named | – |
| Sarkar 2012Pharmacokinetic | Healthy male volunteers | 12 | Not named, 1,000 mg | – |
| Putignano 2012Observational | Elderly with stupor and geriatric syndrome | – | Not named | – |
| Slepova 2012Single-arm or open-label | Primary open angle glaucoma patients | – | Not named | – |
| Mitta 2012RCT, active or other control | Acute ischemic stroke patients | – | Not named | 13 weeks |
| Galkin 2011Non-randomised controlled | Ischemic stroke rehabilitation patients | 280 | Ceraxon | – |
| Ershov 2011Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 106 | Ceraxon, 2,000 mg | 1 weeks |
| Frolov 2011Non-randomised controlled | Primary open angle glaucoma patients | 40 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 1 weeks |
| Licata 2011RCT, placebo | Cocaine-dependent adults | 29 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 8 weeks |
| Gavrilova 2011Single-arm or open-label | Adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment | 20 | Ceraxon, 2,000 mg | 13 weeks |
| Bracken 2011RCT, placebo | Cocaine-dependent adults | – | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Leon-Jimenez 2010Observational | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 173 | Not named | – |
| Shamalov 2010Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 104 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Yoon 2010RCT, placebo | Methamphetamine-dependent patients | 31 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Killgore 2010Other | Adults, appetite and brain response | – | Cognizin, 2,000 mg | 6 weeks |
| Cho 2009Single-arm or open-label | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 4,191 | Not named | 6 weeks |
| Liu 2008RCT, active or other control | Diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients | 300 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Fresina 2008RCT, active or other control | Children with amblyopia | 61 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Iranmanesh 2008RCT, placebo | Nontraumatic cerebral hemorrhage patients | 32 | Not named, 500 mg | 2 weeks |
| Parisi 2008RCT, active or other control | Non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy patients | 26 | Cebrolux-Tubilux, 1,600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Silveri 2008Single-arm or open-label | Healthy middle-aged adults | 16 | Cognizin | 6 weeks |
| Parisi 2008Single-arm or open-label | Glaucoma patients with moderate visual defects | – | Not named, 1,600 mg | 9 weeks |
| Brown 2007RCT, placebo | Bipolar disorder with cocaine dependence | 44 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Secades 2006RCT, placebo | Acute intracerebral hemorrhage patients | 38 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Parisi 2005RCT, placebo | Glaucoma patients | 30 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 416 weeks |
| Cohen 2003RCT, placebo | Vascular dementia patients | 30 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 52 weeks |
| Rejdak 2003Single-arm or open-label | Glaucoma patients | 21 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Bettini 2002Single-arm or open-label | Older adults with cerebral atrophy | 40 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Babb 2002Other | Healthy older adults | – | Not named, 500 mg | 12 weeks |
| Clark 2001RCT, placebo | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 899 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 6 weeks |
| Díaz 2001RCT, placebo | Elderly hip fracture surgery patients | 81 | Not named, 1,200 mg | 1 weeks |
| Fridman 2001Non-randomised controlled | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 74 | Not named, 500 mg | 1 weeks |
| Lukas 2001Crossover, placebo | Occasional cocaine users | 8 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 1 weeks |
| Warach 2000RCT, placebo | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 100 | Not named, 500 mg | 6 weeks |
| Wurtman 2000Crossover, placebo | Mildly hypertensive adults | 12 | Not named | – |
| León-Carrión 2000RCT, placebo | TBI patients with severe memory deficits | 10 | Not named, 1,000 mg | – |
| Virno 2000Other | Glaucoma patients | – | Not named | – |
| Clark 1999RCT, placebo | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 394 | Not named, 500 mg | 6 weeks |
| Parisi 1999RCT, placebo | Open-angle glaucoma patients | 40 | Neuroton, 1,000 mg | 9 weeks |
| Alvarez 1999RCT, placebo | Alzheimer's disease patients | 30 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 12 weeks |
| Renshaw 1999RCT, placebo | Cocaine-dependent adults | – | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Porciatti 1998Single-arm or open-label | Adults with amblyopia | 10 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Clark 1997RCT, placebo | Acute ischemic stroke patients | 259 | Not named | 6 weeks |
| Alvarez 1997RCT, placebo | Elderly with memory deficits, no dementia | 24 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Spiers 1996RCT, placebo | Healthy older adults | 95 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 13 weeks |
| Campos 1996Non-randomised controlled | Children with amblyopia | 45 | Not named, 500 mg | 52 weeks |
| Cacabelos 1996Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's disease patients | – | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Babb 1996Other | Younger and older healthy adults | – | Not named | – |
| Campos 1995Single-arm or open-label | Adults with amblyopia | 60 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Piccoli 1994RCT, placebo | Chronic cerebrovascular disease patients | 92 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 9 weeks |
| Caamaño 1994Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's disease patients | 20 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Franco-Maside 1994Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's disease patients | 19 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Tanaka 1994Non-randomised controlled | Demented patients | 10 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Fernández-Novoa 1994Single-arm or open-label | Early and late onset Alzheimer's patients | – | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Rossi 1993Single-arm or open-label | Chronic cerebral vasculopathy patients | 30 | Not named | – |
| Cacabelos 1993Single-arm or open-label | Alzheimer's and multi-infarct dementia patients | – | Not named | – |
| Chandra 1992RCT, placebo | Patients with multi-infarct dementia | 146 | Not named, 750 mg | 9 weeks |
| García-Mas 1992Other | Parkinson's disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Calatayud Maldonado 1991RCT, active or other control | Moderate or severe head injury patients | 216 | Not named | – |
| Di Trapani 1991Other | Older adults with memory deficits | 150 | Not named | 12 weeks |
| Iacoboni 1991RCT, active or other control | Open-heart surgery patients | 40 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 28 weeks |
| Martí Massó 1991Single-arm or open-label | Parkinson's disease patients | 20 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Levin 1991RCT, placebo | Young men with mild to moderate head injury | 14 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Ceda 1991Crossover, placebo | Healthy elderly volunteers | 11 | Not named, 2,000 mg | – |
| Lebedeva 1991Other | Stroke patients with motor disturbances | – | Recognan | – |
| Bricourt 1990RCT, active or other control | High-risk postoperative elderly patients | 414 | Not named | – |
| Serra 1990Single-arm or open-label | Elderly with mild to moderate brain aging | 237 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 7 weeks |
| Gelenberg 1989Crossover, placebo | Tardive dyskinesia patients | 5 | Not named, 1,000 mg | – |
| Pecori Giraldi 1989Other | Open-angle glaucoma patients | – | Not named, 1,000 mg | 1 weeks |
| Tazaki 1988RCT, placebo | Acute cerebral infarction patients | 272 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Cubells 1988Single-arm or open-label | Parkinson's disease patients on levodopa | 30 | Not named, 500 mg | 9 weeks |
| Valls i Soler 1988RCT, placebo | Preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome | 24 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Grasso 1988Other | Chronic cerebrovascular disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Palleschi 1988Other | Older adults with brain aging | – | Not named | – |
| Sinforiani 1986RCT, placebo | Chronic cerebrovascular disease patients | 58 | Not named | – |
| Centrone 1986Single-arm or open-label | Acute cerebrovascular disease patients | 30 | Not named, 1,000 mg | – |
| Bonavita 1986Other | Older adults with senile brain changes | – | Not named | – |
| Neidhardt 1986Other | Surgical patients | – | Not named | – |
| Merchan 1985Other | Elderly with cerebrovascular insufficiency | 40 | Not named | – |
| Crolle 1985Single-arm or open-label | Elderly with vasculopathy | 10 | Not named, 2,000 mg | 1 weeks |
| Pacheco 1985Single-arm or open-label | Pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis patients | – | Not named, 1,000 mg | 4 weeks |
| Angeli 1985Other | Not stated | – | Not named | – |
| Setti 1985Other | Arteriopathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Bellagamba 1984Other | Cerebrovascular disease patients | – | Not named | – |
| Auteri 1984Other | Chronic ischemic vasculopathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Lozano Fernández 1983Single-arm or open-label | Older patients with neurological disorders | 2,817 | Somazina | – |
| Stramba-Badiale 1983Single-arm or open-label | Elderly with senile mental decay | 24 | Not named, 500 mg | 3 weeks |
| Dinsdale 1983Crossover, placebo | Healthy adult volunteers | 12 | Somazina | 1 weeks |
| Arranz 1983Single-arm or open-label | Older adults with tardive dyskinesia | 10 | Somazina | 4 weeks |
| Dinsdale 1983Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adults | 6 | Somazina, 300 mg | – |
| Bonavita 1983Other | Elderly with senile brain changes | – | Not named | – |
| Cohadon 1982RCT, placebo | Severe head injury patients in coma | 60 | Not named | – |
| Ayuso-Gutierrez 1982RCT, placebo | Depressed inpatients receiving ECT | 22 | Not named | – |
| Corso 1982Other | Cerebral vasculopathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Seminara 1982Other | Children | – | Not named | – |
| Agnoli 1982Crossover, placebo | Parkinson's disease patients on L-dopa | – | Not named | – |
| Ghigo 1982Other | Not stated | – | Not named | – |
| de Rosa 1980Other | Healthy adults and galactorrhea patients | – | Not named | – |
| Hazama 1980RCT, placebo | Post-stroke hemiplegia patients | – | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Zardini 1980Other | Women with placental insufficiency | – | Not named | – |
| Salvadorini 1980Other | Brain or pituitary lesion patients and controls | – | Not named, 300 mg | – |
| Galeone 1979Single-arm or open-label | Hyperlipemic patients | 28 | Not named, 300 mg | – |
| Matsuoka 1978Single-arm or open-label | Healthy adult men | 6 | Not named | – |
| Asirón Yribarren 1978Other | Patients with cerebral motor disorders | – | Not named | – |
| Salvadorini 1978Other | Chronic psychopathy patients | – | Not named | – |
| Hernando 1978Other | Patients with spasticity | – | Not named | – |
| Bracaglia 1977Other | Pregnant women, fetal lung | – | Not named | – |
| De Gregorio 1977Other | Arteriosclerotic stroke patients | – | Not named | – |
| Ogashiwa 1976Single-arm or open-label | Comatose patients | 15 | Not named | – |
| Ruggieri 1976Other | Parkinsonian syndrome patients | – | Not named | – |
| Ogashiwa 1975Single-arm or open-label | Patients with impaired consciousness | 7 | Not named | – |
| Saito 1975Other | Vegetative state patients | – | Not named | – |
| Salvadorini 1975Other | Unclear | – | Nicholin | – |
| Ozawa 1974Other | Acute pancreatitis patients | – | Not named | – |
| Hashihira 1974Other | Acute pancreatitis patients | – | Not named | – |
| Montanini 1974Other | Patients in coma | – | Nicholin | – |
| Tsubaki 1974Other | Parkinson's syndrome patients | – | Nicholin | – |
| Bertoletti 1973Single-arm or open-label | Women with eclampsia | – | Not named | – |
| Kobayashi 1973Single-arm or open-label | Postoperative patients with hypoxemia | – | Not named | – |
| Watanabe 1972Single-arm or open-label | Neurosurgical patients | – | Not named | – |
| Latuf 1972Single-arm or open-label | Head injury patients with consciousness disorders | – | Not named | – |
| Yokoi 1968Single-arm or open-label | Patients with acute hypnotic intoxication | – | Not named | – |
| Marumoto 1968Single-arm or open-label | Patients with acute hypnotic poisoning | – | Not named | – |
| MIYAKE 1964Single-arm or open-label | Head injury patients | – | Not named | – |
Safety
What's known about safety
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In trials
In a review of 10 stroke trials with 4,281 people, serious heart and circulation side effects were about as common as on placebo, though other side effects were poorly reported. An earlier review of 14 trials in older adults found it well tolerated. Trials used 500 to 2,000 mg a day.
Martí-Carvajal 2020, Cochrane review of 10 trials at 500 to 2,000 mg a day; Fioravanti 2005, Cochrane review of 14 trials
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In the UK
Citicoline is an authorised novel food in Great Britain. It can be sold in food supplements at up to 500 mg a day, and the label must say it isn't meant for children. Some European countries prescribe it as a medicine.
FSA register of authorised novel foods (Citicoline, NOVEL-34); Commission Decision 2014/423/EU; Fioravanti 2005, Cochrane review
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Check first
EFSA advised that citicoline may interact with some medicines and shouldn't be taken with them. Food supplements with it aren't meant for children, and there's too little research to know if it's safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor first if you take any medicine or either applies to you.
Commission Decision 2014/423/EU, citing EFSA's safety opinion; FSA register (NOVEL-34); no pregnancy safety data found, Oct 2026
How we built this
Where these studies come from
We list every published study of citicoline in people, given by mouth or by injection. Studies where it was only the comparison, or was given to every group, are left out. This first version is built from each study's summary; full-paper checks come next.
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We search
PubMed, the world's main library of medical research, for every paper on L-theanine.
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We keep studies in people
Lab and animal work is counted but left out of the list, because it doesn't tell you what happens in people.
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We note the basics
Who took part, how many, how much and for how long, from each study's published summary. A second check corrects what the first read gets wrong.
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We read them in full
Results appear once we've read the whole paper and checked every number. The date at the top shows when this entry was last updated.
Download the study list
Every study in people as a spreadsheet, 218 rows, free to reuse with a link back.
Versions
Each update to the data gets a new version number, so you can tell what changed and when.
See every version
1.0 · 24 Oct 2026. First release. Every published study giving citicoline on its own to people is listed from its summary. None is read in full yet.
