---
name: Piracetam
molecule: C6H10N2O2
compound: "Piracetam"
era: Modern
origin: Belgium
archetype: Chicago Detroit
ancestor: Hindu
swag_score: 3
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/chicagodetroit_hindu_piracetam.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/chicagodetroit_hindu_piracetam.webp" alt="Piracetam" width="320" />
</div>


# Piracetam

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Produces subtle cognitive enhancement, such as improved
attention, verbal fluency, and mental clarity. Effects are often cumulative, requiring days to
weeks for noticeable benefits.

**Natural Occurrence:** Piracetam does not occur naturally and
was first synthesized in 1964 by UCB Pharma in Belgium.

## History

Piracetam was synthesized in 1964 by Romanian chemist Corneliu Giurgea at the Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB, and he coined the term "nootropic" (from the Greek nous for mind and trepein for to bend) to describe its class of cognitive-enhancing compounds. It was the first nootropic drug ever developed, designed to enhance memory and learning without stimulant side effects. Piracetam became widely prescribed in Europe and Russia for cognitive decline and is available over the counter in many countries, pioneering the modern nootropics movement that has since expanded into Silicon Valley biohacking culture.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Chicago Detroit](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#chicago-detroit)

**Ancestor:** [Hindu](../../../core-lore/ancestors/hindu.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Ace of Swords](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/ace-of-swords.md)

**PubChem:** [Piracetam](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Piracetam)

**Paired With:** [Brahmi](brahmi.md)

## Sources

- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Piracetam
- https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/piracetam-3570384/
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a604001.html
- [Piracetam - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam)
- [Corneliu E. Giurgea - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneliu_E._Giurgea)
- [Nootropic - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic)