Key findings from detailed records
In 100 older adults with age-associated memory impairment, 500 mg/day citicoline for 12 weeks improved secondary episodic and composite memory measures versus placebo after multiplicity correction. The primary spatial-memory outcome did not differ.
KNOWLEDGE RECORD
- Category
- Vision and cognition
- Last Reviewed
Names and related search termsCiticoline / Citicoline / CDP-choline / CDP-choline / Cognizin
Study type: human intervention study.
OUTCOME-SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
Scientific Evidence Profile
Editorial pilot · selected evidence; not a systematic review or formal GRADE assessment.
Episodic and composite memory scores in adults aged 50–85 with age-associated memory impairment
Limited
A trial found improvements in secondary memory measures after multiple-comparison correction. Replication and the null primary endpoint limit confidence in a broad memory benefit.
Basis of this assessment
- Human study quality
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled; intention-to-treat analysis with multiple-comparison correction.
- Scale and replication
- 100 participants, 99 completed; 500 mg/day for 12 weeks. Independent confirmation of the same benefit remains limited.
- Consistency of findings
- Secondary memory outcomes improved; the primary Spatial Span outcome did not. EFSA’s 2024 assessment found the overall memory claim insufficiently substantiated.
- Clinical relevance
- Cognitive test scores, not demonstrated prevention of dementia or improvement in daily independence.
- Systematic reviews / meta-analyses
- EFSA 2024 reviewed the memory-claim evidence. This regulatory scientific assessment is distinct from a meta-analysis and from Vietnamese authorization.
- Limitations / funding / COI
- Short duration; primary/secondary distinction matters. Kyowa Hakko Bio funded and helped design the trial; authors included company employees.
Assessment sources
Profile reviewed:
This profile concerns the stated outcome and population, not the ingredient as a whole. It is not a probability of benefit, a safety rating, a product efficacy rating or an indication of product adoption.
How we assess evidenceIngredient Profile
- What is it?
- Citicoline is also called CDP-choline. It is an intermediate in phospholipid biosynthesis, connecting choline chemistry with membrane constituents. [1]
Sources for this profile
Compound properties and formulation properties are different. These sources do not establish the efficacy of a finished supplement.
- PubChem — Citicoline (CID 13804) Chemical identity reference. Maintained by NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Database record; not a clinical trial.
Profile sources checked:
Read the evidence in context
- Evidence: what was measured in the stated population or experimental model.
- Inference: an interpretation connecting findings; its applicability depends on the study conditions.
- Hypothesis: a proposed explanation or effect that remains to be tested.
Why It Matters #
Which aspects of memory improved? Check the detailed records for study conditions and use the literature map to compare other populations and outcomes.
What Was Studied #
100 adults aged 50–85 with age-associated memory impairment; 99 completed the trial Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Outcomes: Primary: Spatial Span score. Secondary: other cognitive tasks and composite memory scores.[1]
What Was Found #
Secondary episodic and composite memory scores improved versus placebo after correction for multiple comparisons. The primary Spatial Span outcome did not show a significant between-group benefit.[1]
What the Evidence Means #
A limited population and duration. These findings do not establish dementia prevention or treatment, or enhanced performance in younger people.[1]
Comparing similar populations, formulations, durations and outcomes helps identify where findings agree and where they differ.
What We Can Learn #
Instead of broadly saying “memory improved,” identify which tasks were primary and which were secondary.
What Remains Unknown #
Further questions include reproducibility across populations and formulations, and the long-term balance of benefits and harms. Use the literature map as a starting point for these questions.
LITERATURE MAP / 10 PAPERS
Compare papers by conditions and findings.
A literature map covering different populations, outcomes and formulations. Read alongside detailed records to avoid treating one trial as the conclusion for an entire ingredient.
Selected: 2026-09-21. Bibliographic information checked against Europe PMC / PubMed. Editorial selection considered major papers and a range of populations and questions. This is not a systematic search covering all recent research.
10 RECORDS
A dash marks fields outside the bibliographic record. Use detailed records to compare findings and design records to connect mechanisms.
No papers match. Change the search conditions.
The literature map is an index of research questions and references. Individual assessment of results, doses, funding and COI is limited to the detailed study records. Related reports from the same trial may be included; paper counts are not counts of independent trials.
Explore the research Study Records
Listed doses describe study conditions, not recommended intake.
Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
PubMed 33978188DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab119
- Authors
- Nakazaki E, Mah E, Sanoshy K, Citrolo D, Watanabe F.
- Journal
- The Journal of nutrition
- Publication year
- 2021
- Study design
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Participants
- 100 adults aged 50–85 with age-associated memory impairment; 99 completed the trial
- Dose and intervention
- Citicoline 500 mg/day (Cognizin)
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Outcomes and their role in the study
- Primary: Spatial Span score. Secondary: other cognitive tasks and composite memory scores.
- Findings
- Secondary episodic and composite memory scores improved versus placebo after correction for multiple comparisons. The primary Spatial Span outcome did not show a significant between-group benefit.
- Limitations
- The primary Spatial Span outcome did not differ between groups; secondary memory outcomes did after multiple-comparison correction. Participants had age-associated memory impairment rather than dementia. No serious adverse events were reported over 12 weeks; this does not determine longer-term tolerability.
- Funding
- Kyowa Hakko Bio supported the study and participated in its design.
- Conflict of Interest
- Authors included employees of Kyowa Hakko Bio, Kyowa Hakko USA and Biofortis.
- Scope of source review
- Primary-paper methods, relevant results, limitations and funding/COI checked on 2026-10-24. This record assesses the stated claims, not every analysis in the paper.
Cite this page
LÍFSVARÐA. Citicoline: Which aspects of memory improved? Version 1.1 / Updated 2026-10-24
https://lifsvarda.com/knowledge/citicoline/Edited by LÍFSVARÐA (product brand).Editorial policy
Sources and updates
- Nakazaki E, Mah E, Sanoshy K, Citrolo D, Watanabe F. (2021). Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.Primary-paper methods, relevant results, limitations and funding/COI checked on 2026-10-24. This record assesses the stated claims, not every analysis in the paper.
First published: 2026-09-21 / Version 1.1. Updated 2026-09-23: Added a research comparison table and links to design records. Source notes identify the scope of verification when the full paper has not been reviewed. Research summaries and LÍFSVARÐA’s interpretation are distinguished.