Cognizin is a branded form of citicoline with small randomized trials on attention. Guide to what it is, what the studies found and the doses used.
Cognizin is a branded form of citicoline (CDP-choline) made by Kyowa Hakko Bio. Small randomized trials, mostly supported by the ingredient maker, have reported better attention scores at 250 to 500 mg a day. Citicoline supplies choline, which the body uses to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, a building block of cell membranes.
Cognizin is a branded form of citicoline (cytidine diphosphate-choline) from Kyowa Hakko Bio. Citicoline is water-soluble and is broken down into choline and cytidine. The body uses choline to make phosphatidylcholine, a major phospholipid in brain cell membranes, and acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and attention.
Cognizin's research consists of small randomized trials, mostly supported by its maker. The best-known, McGlade et al. (2012), gave healthy adult women 250 mg or 500 mg of citicoline a day or a placebo and reported better scores on an attention task with citicoline. The evidence is promising but limited, and it hasn't been confirmed in large independent trials.
BrainPill contains 250 mg of Cognizin per two-capsule serving, within the range used in the citicoline studies. Other nootropics use generic citicoline or different choline sources such as choline bitartrate or Alpha GPC; these are different compounds, and research on one doesn't automatically apply to the others. BrainPill's own trial was company-sponsored, unpublished and positive only in a subgroup.