Oxiracetam in the treatment of multi-infarct dementia.

1. Initial clinical trials in approximately 200 patients with dementias of diverse etiology suggested that oxiracetam, a structural analogue of the nootropic piracetam, was of some benefit in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction. 2. Because previous studies had not specifically examined the effects of oxiracetam upon dementias of vascular origin, the present study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and safety of oxiracetam in the treatment of symptoms of multi-infarct dementia (MID) of mild to moderate severity. 3. Incremental doses of up to 1200 mg oxiracetam daily were tested in a dose-range finding design in a group of patients with clinically and neuropsychologically confirmed MID. 4. Based on improvement in global evaluations of clinical change, our analysis suggests that the drug may be of some benefit in MID.