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Bromantane

Bromantane is a synthetic compound developed in Russia that appears to raise the brain's dopamine-making machinery, based on rat studies. People mostly look at it for asthenia, the exhaustion and weakness seen in neurasthenia, and the evidence is moderate: several trials, including a placebo-controlled one, found symptoms eased. Most other claims, such as for anxiety or physical performance, rest largely on animal work, and the human studies were fairly small and short.

Sources: PMID 20559263; PMID 21322821

Best evidence
Grade B
Conditions studied
4
Outcomes
6
Graded outcomes
0141

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

4 conditions, plus general outcomes

Neurasthenia

Neurasthenia: outcomes studied for Bromantane
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Asthenia Symptoms

PubMed-indexed clinical studies report anti-asthenic effects of bromantane in neurasthenia/psychogenic asthenia. A multicenter open-label study (n=76; PMID: 20559263) and a multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled study (n=156; PMID: 21322821) reported reduced asthenic symptoms with 50-100 mg/day for 28 days. An additional clinical report (PMID: 19491814) is directionally consistent.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect2 studies232 people

Studies that measured asthenia symptoms

General Athletic Performance

General Athletic Performance: outcomes studied for Bromantane
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Physical Work Capacity (Primarily Preclinical)

Evidence for improved physical work capacity is mostly preclinical. Animal studies under repeated extreme exercise conditions reported higher work capacity with bromantane (PMID: 9929819; PMID: 10934588). A human operator study reported improved psychophysiological restoration under fatigue conditions versus placebo (PMID: 10998997), but evidence remains limited for general athletic performance.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect3 studies

Studies that measured physical work capacity (primarily preclinical)

General

  • Dopamine Synthesis (TH/AADC Expression): improves
  • Dependence/Withdrawal Signs (Short-Term)
General: outcomes studied for Bromantane
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Dopamine Synthesis (TH/AADC Expression)

Preclinical rat studies indicate bromantane upregulates dopamine synthesis machinery. Repeated administration increased tyrosine hydroxylase and/or aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase expression in dopaminergic regions (PMID: 15500036) and altered striatal dopamine synthesis/catabolism (PMID: 7580761). Evidence is mechanistic and animal-based.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect2 studies

Studies that measured dopamine synthesis (th/aadc expression)

Dependence/Withdrawal Signs (Short-Term)

Short-term clinical studies (up to 28 days) reported no clear withdrawal syndrome or addiction-like signs after bromantane treatment in asthenic populations (PMID: 19491814; PMID: 20559263; PMID: 21322821). This supports short-term tolerability but does not establish long-term dependence risk.

NoneNo effect2 studies232 people

Studies that measured dependence/withdrawal signs (short-term)

Anxiety Disorders (Other)

  • Anxiety Symptoms: improves
Anxiety Disorders (Other): outcomes studied for Bromantane
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiolytic effects are supported by one placebo-controlled asthenia trial showing reduced anxiety symptoms (PMID: 21322821), a supporting clinical report (PMID: 19491814), and rat behavioral data showing anxiolytic effects without prominent locomotor stimulation at tested doses (PMID: 16047669). Clinical anxiety-specific RCT data remain limited.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect1 study156 people

Studies that measured anxiety symptoms

Cognitive Function

  • Cognitive/Psychomotor Performance: improves
Cognitive Function: outcomes studied for Bromantane
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Cognitive/Psychomotor Performance

Limited human experimental data suggest bromantane may improve selected psychophysiological or operator-performance measures under fatigue (PMID: 10998997) and modulate EEG rhythms consistent with CNS activation (PMID: 19642584). Evidence is preliminary and not based on large cognitive endpoint trials.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect1 study

Studies that measured cognitive/psychomotor performance

Key findings

  • Asthenia SymptomsNeurastheniaImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Physical Work Capacity (Primarily Preclinical)General Athletic PerformanceImproves (the measure goes up)
  • Dopamine Synthesis (TH/AADC Expression)Improves (the measure goes up)

Safety notes in the studies

  • This supports short-term tolerability but does not establish long-term dependence risk.

Studies cited

7 studies from PubMed

  1. Clinical efficacy of ladasten in treatment of asthenic disorders in patients with neurasthenia.Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2010 · PMID 20559263
  2. [Treatment of asthenic disorders in patients with psychoautonomic syndrome: results of a multicenter study on efficacy and safety of ladasten].Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2010 · PMID 21322821
  3. [Ladasten induces the expression of genes regulating dopamine biosynthesis in various structures of rat brain].Bull Exp Biol Med, 2004 · PMID 15500036
  4. [Effects of bromantane and sidnocarb on long-term operant conditioning and its vegetative correlates in rats].Eksp Klin Farmakol, 2000 · PMID 10934588
  5. [The neuro- and psychophysiological effects of bromantane].Hum Physiol, 2000 · PMID 10998997
  6. [The effect of bromantane on the physical work capacity of laboratory animals].Eksp Klin Farmakol, 1998 · PMID 9929819
  7. [The effect of bromantane on the dopamin- and serotoninergic systems of the rat brain].Eksp Klin Farmakol, 1995 · PMID 7580761