Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine on reaction times in patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency.

A double-blind cross-over study was carried out on the clinical effectiveness of acetyl-L-carnitine on 12 elderly subjects undergoing rehabilitation for acute cerebral circulatory insufficiency compared with a placebo. Significant differences between the drug and placebo were found in memory, number and word tests and in the responses to simple stimuli and the performance of the maze test. There were no side-effects to the drug.