Psycho-functional changes in attention and learning under the action of L-acetylcarnitine in 17 young subjects. a pilot study of its use in mental deterioration
Lino, A.; Boccia, M.M.; Rusconi, A.C.; Bellomonte, L.; Cocuroccia, B.
La Clinica Terapeutica 140(6): 569-573
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9074 PMID: 1638856 Document Number: 388812
The aim of the study was the investigation of the ability of L-acetylcarnitine (Acn; 1.5 g daily oral route for 1 month) to enhance some performances requiring a high level of attention and reflex velocity. The sample includes 17 healthy subjects, 8 males and 9 females, 22 to 27 years old; 10 of the subjects practice sports at agonistic level, while 7 have a sedentary life style. Reflexes have been measured, baseline and after 17 and 30 days of Acn administration, through a purposely constructed reflex-meter able to determine the latency (csec) of the reaction to an auditory stimulus. The ability as well as the time of learning was determined, before and after treatment, as the time and the number of errors to get out of the maze of a videogame (the test was also carried out by an untreated control group). Acn seems to induce an enhancement of reflex velocity, with complete annulment of the difference between the dominant and the opposite hand, as well as a significant reduction (3 to 4 times superior to controls) of both the errors and the time with the maze test.