Citicoline: Citicoline is a stimulant that increases energy and alertness, and is also used to reduce cravings.

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For memory loss, "I would urge caution but it might be worth a try, " says Gary Small, director of the Longevity Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has no connection with any company selling citicoline.

WSJ: An Energy Shot for the Brain

Schwamm, vice chairman of the neurology department at Massachusetts General Hospital, says despite inconclusive results so far, citicoline is a "reasonable" option for stroke patients because clinical trials have showed promise such as improvement in brain scans in some patients.

WSJ: An Energy Shot for the Brain

But a new Kyowa-funded study of 60 healthy women found a monthlong regime of daily doses of citicoline resulted in improved attention and fewer errors on a cognitive test compared with placebo, says co-author Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, a scientist at the Brain Institute at University of Utah in Salt Lake City, who is a paid consultant to Kyowa.

WSJ: An Energy Shot for the Brain