Piracetam for Autism: How the Racetams Reduce Autism Symptoms
Many people use piracetam for autism because of its ability to prevent seizures, heal cells, and reduce symptoms of autism.Some of the racetams are anticonvulsant and some are stimulating while others are calming. All of them work by activating the central nervous system receptors. All of the racetams have an impact on the glutamate system.
The glutamatergic system deals with the excitation or calming of the other neurotransmitter systems in the body. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, for example, in the glutamatergic system. It is a precursor to gamma-aminobutyric acid / GABA, a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the body.
Piracetam for autism enhances acetylcholine function in the brain by modulating the AMPA receptors. As the oldest of the racetams and the first drug to be dubbed “nootropic”, it is also the most popular among neuro hackers who have no neurological issue at all. For autism, piracetam generally does not produce side effects, but it can reduce severe behavioral issues, prevent seizures, and control symptoms of ADHD. Piracetam is the most well-studied of the racetams and it is the least likely to cause side effects of any kind.
Piracetam and Autism
Piracetam was developed in 1964 and originally, it was used primarily as an anti-motion sickness medication. Anti-motion sickness antihistamines and stimulants, though, are known to have the ability to dramatically improve learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD as well as autism via their effects on histamine.Histamine is an essential neurotransmitter that also has local effects on the body as an “autocoid”. In the sympathetic nervous system, the branch of the autonomic nervous system that deals with states of alertness and/or fight-or-flight states, histamine acts to regulate the intensity and duration of alpha-sympathetic states of alertness. Beta-sympathetic states / fight-or-flight states that involve the release of adrenaline emerge out of an alpha-sympathetic state. So, a beta-sympathetic fight-or-flight response is something that is of short duration that spikes out of an alpha-sympathetic state of wakeful alertness.
The Origami of Autism: Transforming 2-Dimensional Thinking about ASD into 3-Dimensional Solutions - BUY HERE!The intensity and length of duration of a beta-sympathetic fight-or-flight state is proportional to the intensity and length of duration of alpha-sympathetic states of alertness. For example, a person may be in a state of alertness while studying. But a person who is studying and who is awake and alert may be relaxed and alert or they may be vigilant, tense, and alert. An alpha-sympathetic state of alertness does not always involve vigilance or tension. Alpha-sympathetic states are not always stressful per se, but sometimes they do involve high levels of stress. If a person is in a prolonged alpha-sympathetic state of high stress, that person’s beta-sympathetic fight-or-flight response will be more intense and more prolonged than the beta-sympathetic response of a person who experiences shorter, less prolonged alpha-sympathetic states that involve wakefulness and alertness but not high levels of stress on a day-to-day basis.
Histamine plays a role in the prolongation and heightened adrenaline response when the beta-sympathetic fight-or-flight system is triggered. When alpha-sympathetic states are predominantly and regularly stressful or if a person experiences a short-duration, but high-intensity alpha-sympathetic state before a beta-sympathetic fight-or-flight reaction is triggered, histamine levels rise proportionally and they stay chronically elevated during the alpha-sympathetic state. Peripheral histamine receptors increase in response to prolonged, high levels of histamine which leads to a situation in which histamine begins to act on its own without being solicited by the alpha-sympathetic system. The independent action of histamine in the body once an increase in the number of histamine receptors is augmented leads to secondary effects and often symptoms of disease.
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Histamine plays a role in energy intake and use by regulating how our cells absorb and then use sugars and fats. Histamine receptors have been shown to regulate both glucose and lipid metabolism and it plays a role in the development of liver problems like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Normally, histamine is a neurotransmitter in the body that helps us adapt to our surroundings and stress levels, but prolonged stress or a traumatic event involving a slow-build of anxiety over a shorter period of time can hijack the histamine response. After this happens, the goal is to reduce the number of histamine receptors to return the body to a baseline state so that histamine is no longer acting as an independent entity that’s separate from the normal adaptation response in humans. Piracetam can help to reduce the number of histamine receptors so that a normal adaptation response can be restored over time.
Piracetam also works to restore cell membrane fluidity which helps cells have better access to nutrients and blood glucose. Scientists think that administration of piracetam leads to the creation of piracetam-lipid complexes that are mobile within the cell membrane. These mobile drug-lipid complexes appear to have the ability to reorganize the arrangement of lipids in the cellular membrane to improve cellular function and fluidity. A cell with a membrane that is partially “closed” is in a state like the Cell Danger Response which has been directly correlated with autism symptoms. Click here to read about Suramin as another medicine that helps cells come out of a dormant state. Studies have shown that in mice, Piracetam at a dose of 500 mg per kilogram body weight, was able to improve mitochondrial function in dissociated brain cells.
In mice, piracetam has been shown to be able to improve mitochondrial function in cells that have “dissociated” and gone dormant. After treatment with piracetam for 14 days, piracetam reduces amyloid deposits that have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Scientists have studied the use of piracetam with risperidone for PTSD and trauma. To mimic the production of PTSD symptoms in rats, one group of scientists exposed rats to prolonged stress. Piracetam and risperidone were administered separately or together to reduce the PTSD behaviors. Piracetam, when administered by itself, was found to be effective at reducing symptoms of trauma by itself. Scientists noted that piracetam was able to restore the physiological cascades that had become aberrant to get rid of PTSD symptoms.
Some scientific research has indicated that autism is a hypoglutamatergic disorder. These studies indicate, in other words, that autism / ASD symptoms are correlated with low levels of glutamine. For this reason, some scientists have studied piracetam, the first member of the compounds known as racetams, as an over-the-counter nootropic that has the ability to modulate glutamate receptors and activity in patients with autism.
In one study, about 40 ASD children between the ages of 3 and 11 years with extremely disruptive behaviors were given either a placebo with risperidone 2-3 mg / day (control group) or piracetam 800 mg per day with risperidone 2-3 mg per day (experimental group). Risperidone is an antipsychotic drug that is often prescribed for ASD treatment. Piracetam is a racetam that works as a glutamate agent that has significant synergistic effects with risperidone for autism.
Indeed, to the extent that autism symptoms are caused by some form of trauma of cellular dormancy such as the Cell Danger Response, piracetam is an excellent treatment choice. Studies have shown that for autism, piracetam treatment can restore normal functioning of the glutamatergic system over the course of time.
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Piracetam Medicinal Effects
Piracetam has the following neurological effects on the body:
- It is a modulator of AMPA glutamate receptors.
- It can restore NMDA receptor function.
- It is a neuroprotective agent
- It spurs the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
- It enhances connectivity in the brain to enhance cognition
- It enhances the mechanism by which acetylcholine is produced by increasing choline uptake
- It restores cell membrane fluidity
- It improves cellular glucose absorption and consumption
- It increases blood flow to the brain
- It increases alertness and mental agility
- It increases concentration and focus
- It increases attention
- It increases memory function
- It increases the density of choline receptors in the frontal lobe
- It reduces pain.
- It is an anti-inflammatory.
Piracetam and Epilepsy: Prevent Autism Seizures
Piracetam is one of the racetams for seizures. It has proven to be effective and well-tolerated as a treatment for myoclonus epilepsy in scientific studies. For disabling epilepsy, piracetam is administered at a dose of 3200 mg per day initially. This dose is slowly increased until a stable benefit is noted with the maximum dose at 20,000 mg per day. Each patient’s existing anti-epileptic drugs are continued along with piracetam treatment.During the first 2 weeks of treatment, some patients feel drowsy, perhaps due to changes in histamine levels and function in the body. After 30 days, 180 days, and then after 365 days, seizure severity can be significantly reduced. Scientists have noted that the effectiveness of piracetam increases over the course of about 12 months of treatment and then, at around 1 year, the effects of piracetam treatment stabilizes.
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Other Racetams and Autism
Racetams like piracetam including aniracetam and pramiracetam have been found helpful in treating learning disabilities and language impairments in addition to their ability to diminish autism symptoms and ADHD symptoms. In children with dyslexia who are between 7-12 years of age, studies have shown, for example, that at a dose of 3,600 mg per day, piracetam produced significant improvement in reading and comprehension after about 12 weeks of daily administration.Some sources encourage parents to talk to their child’s doctor about using racetams as an adjunctive form of treatment with other drugs. The use of choline along with piracetam amplifies the effects of piracetam.
Pramiracetam and Autism
Pramiracetam has calming effects on patients.Aniracetam and Autism
Aniracetam is a more stimulating racetam than pramiracetam. Aniracetam is generally well-tolerated. It doesn’t usually cause agitation in children and other side effects are rare. Aniracetam is administered at a dose of 750 mg twice daily for children 7 years of age and older.Zinc, Oxiracetam, and Autism
One animal study looked at the combined use of oxiracetam and zinc for autism at a dose of 25-50 mg per kilogram body weight. Zinc was administered at a dose of 4 mg / kg body weight. This study showed that oxiracetam by itself or in combination with zinc was able to significantly impact behavioral issues, reduce inflammatory cytokines, and restore neurotransmitters to normal levels.Fasoracetam and Autism
Fasoracetam is a newer member of the racetam family of nootropics that enhances cognition, improves memory, improves sleep, and alleviates depression symptoms. Fasoracetam doses range from 100-400 mg administered twice daily. As a general cognitive enhancer, fasoracetam should be administered at a dose of 20-50 mg per day.
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Resources:
• Paudel, R. et al. (2020). Oxiracetam and Zinc Ameliorates Autism-Like Symptoms in Propionic Acid Model of Rats. Retrieved June 13, 2024 from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12640-020-00169-1
• Akhondzadeh, S. et al. (2008). A double-blind placebo controlled trial of piracetam added to risperidone in patients with autistic disorder. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17929164/
• Sharma, A. et al. (2015). Non-Pharmacological Treatments for ADHD in Youth. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4968082/
• Roberts, S. (2023). Fasoracetam: Benefits, Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://evidencelive.org/fasoracetam/
• Levinson, H. N. (1991). Dramatic favorable responses of children with learning disabilities or dyslexia and attention deficit disorder to antimotion sickness medications: four case reports. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1686492/
• Hedayat, K. M and Lapraz, J. C. (2019). The Theory of Endobiogeny Volume 1. Elsevier Academic Press: London.
• Winblad, B. (2005). Piracetam: A Review of Pharmacological Properties and Clinical Uses. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6741724/pdf/CNS-11-169.pdf
• Kurz, C. et al. (2010). The metabolic enhancer piracetam ameliorates the impairment of mitochondrial function and neurite outgrowth induced by beta-amyloid peptide. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874847/
• Wang, K. Y. et al. (2010). Histamine Regulation in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism via Histamine Receptors. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913336/
• Uniyal, A. et al. (2019). Co-treatment of piracetam with risperidone rescued extinction deficits in experimental paradigms of post-traumatic stress disorder by restoring the physiological alterations in cortex and hippocampus. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31445955/
• Fedi, M. et al. (2021). Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Piracetam in the Treatment of Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/779361
• Navarro, S. A. et al. (2013). Analgesic activity of piracetam: effect on cytokine production and oxidative stress. Retrieved June 21, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23474372/
