CDP Choline, also known as citicoline, is a powerful nootropic supplement best known for its potential to enhance memory and protect the brain against memory loss.
However, enhanced memory is only part of the CDP choline picture; it has also been shown to heighten focus, increase mental energy, improve reaction time, and provide better clarity of thought.‍
Recent studies indicate that in addition to boosting many aspects of cognition,
 
CDP choline may also be a useful treatment for a host of medical problems, including head injuries, stroke, age-related neurodegenerative diseases,‍ glaucoma,‍ and even cocaine dependency.
 
For nootropic users, one of the most interesting aspects of CDP Choline is its ability to amplify and enhance the effects of other nootropic supplements. As a cholinergic precursor that helps increase acetylcholine levels in the brain,‍ CDP choline works synergistically with racetam class nootropics, significantly potentiating the effects of memory boosters such as piracetam and pramiracetam while preventing the minor but annoying headaches that are common side effects associated with racetam supplementation.
 
CDP choline is available by prescription only in some countries, including Brazil and parts of the EU. In the US and Canada, it is unregulated and is sold as a  nutritional supplement.‍
 
Benefits and Effects of CDP Choline
CDP choline is a powerful nootropic supplement that potentiates other nootropics and works on its own to enhance many aspects of cognition and brain health.
 
Memory Enhancement
CDP Choline is perhaps best known for its ability to improve memory and prevent memory loss. It is frequently associated with anti-aging and has been studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.‍
 
Increased Mental Energy
Maintaining peak mental energy is important for everyone, from students facing exams to older people suffering from the mental slow-down often associated with aging. Clinical trials have shown that CDP Choline has a significant positive effect on mental energy, increasing frontal lobe bioenergetics and mitigating the cognitive declines associated with aging.‍
 
Better Focus and Concentration
CDP choline can increase the ability to concentrate for longer periods with less distraction, enhancing the focus needed for studying, mastering a new skill, or completing any complex and mentally demanding task. Studies show that CDP choline can improve concentration even in serious conditions, including stroke, brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease.‍
 
Potentiating and Amplifying Other Nootropics
Many nootropic users consider CDP choline a must-have when constructing any stack or combination of supplements. An outstanding choline source, it works particularly well with racetam class nootropics, making their effects stronger and at the same time preventing the minor headache that is sometimes associated with racetams. It has been shown to delay the onset of cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease when used in combination with piracetam.‍
 
How It Works
Unlike those of many nootropics, CDP choline’s mechanisms of action have been extensively studied and understood.
CDP choline is a psychostimulant nootropic that works in several ways:
Restores and repairs neuronal membranes‍
Increases the levels of dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine in the central nervous system‍
Enhances the production of the “learning neurotransmitter,” acetylcholine‍
CDP choline is a phospholipid that is hydrolyzed in the intestines and rapidly absorbed. On absorption, CDP choline splits into choline and cytidine and is resynthesized in the liver and other tissues. It then disperses throughout the body, crossing the blood-brain barrier and entering the central nervous system.‍
 
The cytidine is then converted into uridine, a nucleotide base that is crucial to neural membrane synthesis and is believed to enhance cognition. The released choline acts as a cholinergic, increasing levels of choline in the brain.
Interaction with Racetam Class Nootropics
CDP choline’s post-absorption action as a cholinergic makes it an ideal complement to racetam class nootropic supplements like piracetam, oxiracetam, and aniracetam,  which draw heavily on choline for their brain-enhancing functions.
 
Choline is the precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for many aspects of cognitive function such as learning and memory. Racetam class nootropics like piracetam are considered acetylcholine agonists, which increase the production and release of acetylcholine by stimulating the appropriate neurotransmitter receptor sites.
When sufficient choline is present, the increased production and release of acetylcholine creates significant cognitive enhancements, ranging from better memory to better focus, clearer thought, faster recall, and even enhanced sensory perceptions. But when choline supplies in the brain are insufficient, the effect of racetam supplements is significantly diminished. Additionally, the minor but annoying headaches occasionally associated with racetam use are mainly attributable to insufficient choline.
For these reasons, many nootropic users consider CDP choline a must when assembling a stack that includes racetams. Each is a powerful brain enhancer on its own, but together they’re far more potent than either one could be on their own.
Users report that taking CDP choline boosts mood and lifts brain fog.‍ Others report that adding CDP choline to stacks containing racetams helps prevent headaches, eliminate racetam-related depression, and improves libido and erectile function.‍
Interaction With Catecholamine Neurotransmitters
Studies show that CDP Choline impacts levels of adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine, crucial neurotransmitters that are referred to as catecholamines.‍
The choline component of CDP choline is believed to directly increase serum levels of adrenaline and norepinephrine, while the uridine component is thought to augment dopaminergic signaling.
CDP choline has a neuroprotective effect on dopamine cells and has been shown to protect dopaminergic neurons from damage by toxins associated with Parkinson’s disease.