Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) for Improving Memory

Because of the limited effectiveness of available pharmacologic agents used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia , studies are being done on a variety of complementary and alternative (CAM) treatment approaches. The amino acid acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) occurs naturally in the brain and liver. Research findings show that ALC stabilizes nerve cell membranes, stimulates the synthesis of acetylcholine, and increases the efficiency of mitochondrial energy production. ALC is widely used to enhance memory in healthy adults and to treat cognitive impairment in dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders. Few large placebo -controlled studies have been done, and the findings of human clinical trials are inconsistent. ALC is widely used to improve memory in healthy adults and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease ALC taken in doses of 1.5 to 3.0 grams per day may improve age-related symptoms of cognitive impairment in healthy, nondemented elderly individuals and depressed elderly individuals ( Bella, Biondi, Raffaele, & Bennisi, 1990 ; Cipolli & Chiari, 1990 ). A small, 18-month open study on individuals with early, mild Alzheimer’s disease found that blood circulation in the precuneus, a brain region involved in visuospatial imagery and memory, is increased in individuals who received ALC in doses of 1.5m/day ( Jeong et al 2017 ). Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies support that ALC at 1.5 to 3 grams per day may improve overall performance on tests of reaction time, memory, and cognitive performance in demented patients and may slow the overall rate of progression of cognitive impairment ( Arrigo, Casale, Buonocore, & Ciano, 1990 ; Calvani et al., 1992 ; Thal et al., 1996 ). A systematic review of 11 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of ALC in dementia found significant positive effects at weeks 12 and 24 that were not sustained (as measured by the Clinical Global Impression scale) with continued […]

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