Citicoline also known as cytidine diphosphate

Cytidine diphosphate

Cytidine diphosphate, abbreviated CDP, is a nucleoside diphosphate. It is an ester of pyrophosphoric acid with the nucleoside cytidine. CDP consists of the pyrophosphate group, the pentose sugar ribose, and the nucleobase cytosine....

-choline (CDP-Choline) & cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine is a psychostimulant/nootropic

Nootropic

Nootropics , also referred to as smart drugs, brain steroids, memory enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration...

. It is an intermediate in the generation of phosphatidylcholine

Phosphatidylcholine

Phosphatidylcholines are a class of phospholipids that incorporate choline as a headgroup.They are a major component of biological membranes and can be easily obtained from a variety of readily available sources such as egg yolk or soy beans from which they are mechanically extracted or chemically...

 from choline

Choline

Choline is a water-soluble essential nutrient. It is usually grouped within the B-complex vitamins. Choline generally refers to the various quaternary ammonium salts containing the N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium cation....

. Sold in over 70 countries under a variety of brand names: Ceraxon, Cognizin, NeurAxon, Somazina etc.

Studies suggest that CDP-choline supplements increase dopamine receptor densities, and suggest that CDP-choline supplementation can ameliorate memory impairment caused by environmental conditions. Preliminary research has found that citicoline supplements help improve focus and mental energy and may possibly be useful in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. Citicoline has also been shown to elevate ACTH independent of CRH

CRH

CRH can refer to:* Choate Rosemary Hall, a private boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut* Crimean Tatar language, ISO 639-2 code for Crimean Tatar language* Celtic Resources Holdings plc, an Irish mining company...

 levels and to amplify the release of other HPA axis hormones such as LH

Luteinizing hormone

Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH called the LH surge triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone , it stimulates Leydig cell...

, FSH

FSH

FSH may refer to:* Follicle-stimulating hormone* Fox Sports Houston, a regional Fox Sports Net affiliate station for the Houston, Texas area* Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy* International Civil Aviation Organisation code for Flash Airlines...

, GH

Growth hormone

Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior...

 and TSH

TSH

TSH may refer to:* Tanzanian shilling, the currency of Tanzania* Thyroid-stimulating hormone, a hormone synthesized and secreted by thyrotrope cells* Tshiuetin Rail Transportation, a Canadian railway between Labrador and Quebec...

 in response to hypothalamic releasing factors.
These effects on HPA hormone levels may be beneficial for some individuals but, may have undesirable effects in those with medical conditions featuring ACTH or cortisol hypersecretion including, but not limited to, PCOS, type II diabetes and major depressive disorder.

See also

• 1-alkenyl-2-acylglycerol choline phosphotransferase
  1-alkenyl-2-acylglycerol choline phosphotransferase
  In enzymology, a 1-alkenyl-2-acylglycerol choline phosphotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are CDP-choline and 1-alkenyl-2-acylglycerol, whereas its two products are CMP and plasmenylcholine....
  
  
• Ceramide cholinephosphotransferase
  Ceramide cholinephosphotransferase
  In enzymology, a ceramide cholinephosphotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are CDP-choline and N-acylsphingosine, whereas its two products are CMP and sphingomyelin....
  
  
• Choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase
  Choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase
  In enzymology, a choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are CTP and choline phosphate, whereas its two products are diphosphate and CDP-choline....
  
  
• Diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase
  Diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase
  In enzymology, a diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are CDP-choline and 1,2-diacylglycerol, whereas its two products are CMP and phosphatidylcholine....
  
  
• Sphingosine cholinephosphotransferase
  Sphingosine cholinephosphotransferase
  In enzymology, a sphingosine cholinephosphotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are CDP-choline and sphingosine, whereas its two products are CMP and sphingosyl-phosphocholine....