Full profile
| Also known as | Dimethylaminoethanol, DMAE bitartrate, Deanol |
|---|---|
| Best for | Historically studied (in children, dated) for attention symptoms — not applicable to a healthy-adult focus product |
| Evidence grade | Graded Out — Graded out — evaluated and not featured (failed replication or a safety signal) |
| Studied dose range | ~100–500 mg/day of DMAE bitartrate on supplement labels; no validated healthy-adult cognitive dose exists. |
| Time to effect | Not reliably established; older trials ran 8–12 weeks with no credible acute effect. |
| Best form | DMAE bitartrate (~37% DMAE by weight) is the common oral salt; if used at all, the elemental DMAE amount should be stated. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Graded out, not merely low-graded. The strongest human data is 1960s–70s pediatric hyperactivity trials, since abandoned; there are essentially no adequate positive RCTs for memory or focus in healthy adults, and the acetylcholine mechanism is not well substantiated. A Cochrane review of the related cholinergic approach (Tammenmaa-Aho 2018) found no evidence of benefit. An NTP prenatal study (DART-04) reported equivocal evidence of developmental toxicity in rats, which — while not a clear-cut signal on its own — adds a precautionary reason against use on top of the null-efficacy picture, and the related prescription compound Deanol was withdrawn from the U.S. market over unproven efficacy. That combination — a null/failed efficacy picture plus a precautionary developmental-safety flag and a regulatory withdrawal for unproven efficacy — is what "Graded Out" means on this site.
See the full grading rubric — study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy — in The Evidence Standard.
Side effects
- Headache
- Muscle tension or twitching
- Insomnia or overstimulation
- GI upset
Who should avoid it or check first
- Pregnant or breastfeeding (developmental-toxicity signal in animal studies — avoid)
- Bipolar disorder
- Seizure disorder or epilepsy
Interactions
- May add to the effects of cholinergic drugs and other acetylcholine precursors, and interact with anticholinergic drugs — discuss with a clinician
Use caution stacking with
- Citicoline (better-evidenced, safer cholinergic — prefer it over DMAE)
- Phosphatidylserine (overlapping cholinergic-membrane mechanism)
What to look for on a label
- If used at all, state the salt and elemental amount and carry a prominent pregnancy-avoidance warning.
- The acetylcholine, memory, and focus claims often attached to DMAE are not well substantiated.
References
- NTP DART-04 (2020) — DMAE bitartrate prenatal study. Prenatal developmental-toxicity study in rats; reported equivocal evidence of developmental toxicity (skeletal variations at 1,000 mg/kg/day, no maternal toxicity) — a precautionary basis for pregnancy avoidance rather than a clear-cut hazard. PMID 33052641; doi:10.22427/NTP-DART-04; NCBI Bookshelf NBK562911.
- Tammenmaa-Aho 2018, Cochrane — cholinergics for tardive dyskinesia. No evidence of benefit from cholinergic agents including deanol/DMAE. PMID 29553158; doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000207.pub2. Deanol ('Deaner') was withdrawn in the U.S. in the 1980s under FDA's DESI efficacy review (historical background).
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
Revision history
Every change to this ingredient's evidence status, dated and explained. The full cross-library log lives at Evidence Updates.
- 2026-07-07Graded outGrade C → Graded Out
Graded out, not merely low-graded. The strongest human data are 1960s–70s pediatric trials since abandoned; there are essentially no adequate positive RCTs for memory or focus in healthy adults, and the acetylcholine mechanism is not well substantiated.
See how DMAE compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
