DMAE (Deanol)
Summary
DMAE was sold as the prescription drug Deaner for children's learning and behavior problems until it was withdrawn in 1983. Controlled trials are old and small: one 1975 trial in 74 children found some test gains, but trials in dementia, tardive dyskinesia and Huntington's chorea found no benefit (grade D). In a dementia trial, 6 of 13 people stopped because of side effects. Safety data are limited.
Key facts
- A choline-like amino alcohol; supplements mostly use DMAE bitartrate, and skin creams use DMAE gels[1][8]
- Deaner (deanol acetamidobenzoate) was a U.S. prescription drug for over 20 years until it was withdrawn in 1983[1]
- Children's learning and behavior (D, 1975); dementia (no benefit, D); tardive dyskinesia (unclear, very low quality); skin firmness with gel (D)[4][3][2][6]
- Drowsiness, confusion and a mild blood pressure rise in a dementia trial; insomnia, muscle tension and twitching at larger doses[3][1]
- DMAE caused neural tube and facial defects in cultured mouse embryos by blocking choline use[7]
- 6 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 10, 2026
How it works
ProposedDMAE resembles choline and was proposed to raise brain acetylcholine, but proof is scant, and early researchers noted it might even act against acetylcholine. In cultured mouse embryos it blocked choline uptake and use.[4][7][9]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain activity | Grade D | Mixed | RCT · n = 80 · 2003 | 1 row |
| Children's learning | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 74 · 1975 | 1 row |
| Skin | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 30 · 2002 | 1 row |
| Dementia | Grade D | No effect | RCT · n = 27 · 1981 | 2 rows |
| Movement disorders | Grade D | No effect | Crossover RCT · n = 9 · 1978 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain-wave (EEG) patterns during emotional film clips | Mixed | Grade D | RCT · n = 80 · 2003 Adults with mild emotional disturbance Form: Vitamin-mineral combination containing DMAE (Vitagerin) · Dose: Dose not stated in the abstract · Duration: 12 weeks The combination lowered theta and alpha1 EEG power in sensorimotor areas compared with placebo, which the authors linked to alertness; no clinical outcome is reported in the abstract. | 12844472 (opens PubMed)Source [11] |
| Learning and behavior tests in children | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 74 · 1975 Children referred for learning problems, many with hyperactivity Form: Deanol · Dose: 500 mg daily maintenance (methylphenidate 40 mg daily in the comparison arm) · Duration: 3 months Both deanol and methylphenidate improved a number of behavior and psychometric tests compared with placebo, with slightly different patterns. | 1092513 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Skin firmness with DMAE gel | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 30 · 2002 Volunteers in a split-face study Form: Topical DMAE gel · Dose: Concentration not stated in the abstract · Duration: Not stated in the abstract The DMAE gel increased a measure of skin firmness (shear-wave speed) where the skin was loosest; an 8-person pilot found no significant effect. | 12236885 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Thinking and daily function in Alzheimer's disease | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 27 · 1981 People with moderately severe or severe Alzheimer's disease Form: 2-dimethylaminoethanol · Dose: Dose not stated in the abstract · Duration: Planned trial period not stated; withdrawals occurred in the first 5 weeks No significant benefit; 6 of 13 people on DMAE withdrew within 5 weeks because of drowsiness, slowing, more confusion and a mild rise in blood pressure. | 7020434 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Memory and behavior in older adults with dementia | Mixed | Grade D | Open-label trial · n = 14 · 1977 Older outpatients with dementia Form: Deanol · Dose: Raised to 600 mg three times daily over 2 weeks · Duration: 4 weeks Memory and other cognitive tests did not change; behavior ratings improved (less depression, irritability and anxiety), with no adverse effects reported. | 864168 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| Involuntary movements in Huntington's chorea | No effect | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 9 · 1978 People with Huntington's chorea Form: 2-dimethylaminoethanol · Dose: Dose not stated in the abstract · Duration: Not stated in the abstract Deanol did not change involuntary movements (hyperkinesia). | 153384 (opens PubMed)Source [10] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMAE bitartrate (oral) | Varies[1] | Oral deanol produced measurable blood and spinal-fluid levels, cleared from blood within 36 hours.[1] | Larger doses caused insomnia, muscle tension and twitching; serious cholinergic effects were reported in one woman with tardive dyskinesia.[1] | The main form in supplements, when specified |
| Deanol acetamidobenzoate (former drug Deaner) | Varies[1][4] | Measurable blood and spinal-fluid levels after daily oral use.[1] | Withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1983.[1] | Children's learning and behavior problems (historical) |
| Topical DMAE gel or cream | Varies[6][8] | Applied to skin; no blood-level data in our sources.[6] | A review reported a 3% facial gel as safe over 16 weeks; DMAE was interpreted as a skin irritant in volunteer tests.[8][1] | Skin firmness and wrinkle appearance |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 500 mg/day for 3 months in a 1975 trial in children to 1,800 mg/day (600 mg three times daily) for 4 weeks in older adults with dementia. Several other trials did not state doses in their abstracts.[4][5]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- Cholinergic and anticholinergic medicinesCase reportDMAE is thought to act on acetylcholine pathways, and serious cholinergic side effects were reported in a deanol user; effects with these drugs are unstudied.[1][9]
- Antipsychotics (tardive dyskinesia)ReviewCholinergic drugs including deanol have not shown a clear effect on tardive dyskinesia, and the evidence is very low quality.[2]
Who should be careful
- Pregnancy and trying to conceive
- DMAE caused neural tube and facial defects in cultured mouse embryos by blocking choline use; there are no human pregnancy safety data.[7]
- Seizure disorders
- Oral DMAE was linked to increased muscle tone and possibly more frequent seizures in susceptible people.[1]
- People with dementia
- In a dementia trial, almost half the DMAE group stopped within 5 weeks because of drowsiness, confusion and higher blood pressure.[3]
- Children
- The former drug for children was withdrawn in 1983, and modern pediatric safety data are lacking.[1]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Safety first
DMAE was withdrawn as a prescription drug, its trials are old and small, and side effects can be significant.
- Side effects in trials
- Drowsiness, slowed thinking, confusion and a mild blood pressure rise led 6 of 13 people with Alzheimer's disease to stop.[3]
- Higher doses
- Insomnia, muscle tension and muscle twitching were reported at larger doses; serious cholinergic effects occurred in one deanol user.[1]
- Pregnancy
- Neural tube defects in cultured mouse embryos raise a pregnancy concern that has not been studied in people.[7]
- Evidence quality
- A Cochrane review of cholinergic drugs, including deanol, for tardive dyskinesia found too few, too small studies to tell whether they help.[2]
How to read the label
- What the label form meansSupplements mostly list DMAE bitartrate; the dose of DMAE itself is lower than the salt weight.[1]
- Old trialsMost controlled trials date from the 1970s and 1980s and used the former drug or plain deanol.[4][3][9]
- Skin productsTopical DMAE studies measured skin firmness or wrinkles, not effects on the brain.[6][8]
Frequently asked questions
Does DMAE improve memory or focus?
Evidence is weak and old. A 1975 trial in children found some test gains, but trials in dementia found no memory benefit.[4][5][3]
Is DMAE safe?
Safety data are limited. Side effects in trials included drowsiness, confusion, insomnia and muscle twitching, and DMAE caused birth defects in cultured mouse embryos.[3][1][7]
Why was Deaner taken off the market?
Deaner, a deanol drug for children with learning and behavior problems, was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1983 after more than 20 years of use.[1]
Sources
- [1]2-(Dimethylamino)ethanol (deanol, DMAE), CID 7902: Hazardous Substances Data Bank and NTP toxicity summary. PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026. database
- [2]Cholinergic medication for antipsychotic-induced tardive dyskinesia.. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2018. meta-analysis
- [3]Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease.. Am J Psychiatry, 1981. RCT
- [4]Deanol and methylphenidate in minimal brain dysfunction.. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 1975. RCT
- [5]Senile dementia: treatment with deanol.. J Am Geriatr Soc, 1977. open-label
- [6]Split face study on the cutaneous tensile effect of 2-dimethylaminoethanol (deanol) gel.. Skin Res Technol, 2002. RCT
- [7]Inhibitors of choline uptake and metabolism cause developmental abnormalities in neurulating mouse embryos.. Teratology, 2001. animal-study
- [8]The role of dimethylaminoethanol in cosmetic dermatology.. Am J Clin Dermatol, 2005. review
- [9]2-Dimethylaminoethanol (deanol): a brief review of its clinical efficacy and postulated mechanism of action.. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp, 1974. review
- [10]2-dimethylaminoethanol (Deanol) in Huntington's chorea.. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 1978. crossover-RCT
- [11]Efficacy of dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) containing vitamin-mineral drug combination on EEG patterns in the presence of different emotional states.. Eur J Med Res, 2003. RCT
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract; doses are given only where the abstract states them. Official sources: no NIH ODS, NCCIH, EFSA or EMA monograph covers DMAE; the NIH National Library of Medicine PubChem record (Hazardous Substances Data Bank and NTP content, opened 2026-10-10) supplies the Deaner withdrawal (1983), absorption and toxicity data. Industry ties: the 2003 EEG study tested a branded vitamin-mineral-DMAE combination (Vitagerin) at a private research clinic; other abstracts state no funding. A 2007 fibroblast study with an erratum (17940822) and the superseded 2002 Cochrane version (12137608) were not used. Retraction, expression-of-concern, erratum and withdrawn checks on all 10 PMIDs: none flagged. Safety-first page with no product links (queue flag: limited safety data). Page set indexable. Independent browser review (4 parallel reviewers, every evidence row checked against its abstract and official sources on the Vercel preview) found issues that were fixed: evidence direction now follows the site convention (up = improved, down = worsened), plus wording and disclosure corrections listed in the batch-14 PR review comment.