• Twenty-four carefully assessed patients with probable Alzheimer's disease were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment study of oxiracetam, a nootropic agent reported to improve memory performance in patients with dementia. A broad battery of neuropsychological tests failed to reveal any improvement in the treated group or in any treated patient when individual test scores were analyzed. These findings indicate that oxiracetam is ineffective in reducing cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.