Selank for Cognition: What the Evidence Shows
What human and animal studies show about Selank for cognition, how strong that evidence is, and what is still unproven.
- Strongest evidence
- Human RCT
- Human studies
- 2
- PubMed records, our ledger
- Animal studies
- 11
- PubMed records, our ledger
- Studies we summarised
- 6
- with an outcome for cognition
Evidence for cognition
Each row is an outcome related to cognition from a published study, strongest design first. Animal and cell results are labelled and are not human results. User reports are not counted as evidence here.
| Outcome | Result | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | Selank showed pronounced anxiolytic and mild nootropic effects. | Human controlled trialn = 60 | Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2014, PMID 25176261 |
| Object recognition memory | Selank (0.3 mg/kg a day, 7 days) improved object recognition in non-exposed rats and prevented ethanol-induced memory and attention disturbances. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine 2019, PMID 31625062 |
| Anxiolytic and nootropic effect by route | Both intranasal and intraperitoneal selank worked only in the more anxious BALB/c strain. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia 2016, PMID 29787664 |
| Memory trace stability | A single selank injection during consolidation increased memory trace stability over 30 days. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia 2010, PMID 20919548 |
| Memory | Selank compensated disturbed psychic functions including memory processes in monkeys. | Animal · monkey (not a human result) | Zhurnal evoliutsionnoi biokhimii i fiziologii 2008, PMID 18727417 |
| Learning of active avoidance | Selank improved learning in rats with initially poor learning ability from the first dose. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | Neuroscience and behavioral physiology 2003, PMID 14552529 |
PubMed records for Selank and cognition: 2 human, 11 animal (search counts, not studies we reviewed). Grades follow our .
How strong is it?
A human randomized trial outweighs any number of animal studies. Animal and cell results show a mechanism worth testing, not that it works in people.
What memory is
MedlinePlus defines memory as the process of storing and then remembering information.[7]
The human data closest to cognition
The only human result described as nootropic is a mild nootropic effect of selank in patients with anxiety-related disorders, reported alongside the anxiolytic effect.[1]
The phenazepam add-on study ran a Stroop test and a verbal fluency test, but it was designed to compare anxiolytic effect and tolerability in anxiety disorders.[8]
The goal ledger (PubMed, run 2 Oct 2026) counts 2 human-only and 11 animal papers for selank with brain-health terms, and 1 carries a randomized-trial tag.
Calculated from pubmed query (selank[tiab]) AND (cogniti*[tiab] OR neuroprotect*[tiab] OR "brain function"[tiab] OR "brain health"[tiab] OR memory[tiab] OR "cerebral ischemia"[tiab] OR "ischemic stroke"[tiab] OR "brain injury"[tiab] OR neurodegenerat*[tiab] OR dementia[tiab]); date 2026-10-02; human only count 2; animal filter count 11; randomized filter count 1. Formula: counts as recorded in the goals.json ledger
What rodent and monkey studies report
Rats were given selank at 300 microg/kg and compared with the nootrope piracetam at 400 mg/kg on a conditioned active avoidance reflex.[6]
Selank significantly activated learning in rats with initially poor learning ability, with effects apparent after the first dose on training day 1; this is rat data.[6]
In rats, a single selank injection during the consolidation phase was reported to increase memory trace stability over 30 days.[4]
Rats given selank at 0.3 mg/kg a day for 7 days intraperitoneally showed a cognitive-stimulating effect in the object recognition test and protection against ethanol-induced memory disturbances.[2]
In monkeys with induced neurosis, intranasal selank was reported to give a long compensation of disturbed memory processes and homeostatic parameters.[5]
In mice, the nootropic and anxiolytic efficiency of selank by intranasal and intraperitoneal routes was seen only in BALB/c mice, not C57BL/6.[3]
Other peptides people research for cognition
Common questions
Does Selank help with cognition?
The strongest study we summarise for cognition is human rct evidence, across 6 studies with an outcome for cognition. A trial result is not an approval; see the legal status.
Is Selank approved for cognition?
No. Selank is not FDA approved for any use, including cognition.
Is selank good for brain health?
Human evidence for cognition is thin: 2 human-only papers against 11 animal papers in the PubMed ledger, so the answer rests mostly on rodent and monkey work.
Calculated from human only 2; animal 11; date 2026-10-02. Formula: counts from the goals.json ledger
Does selank improve memory?
In rats, selank injected during the consolidation phase was reported to enhance memory storage; the sources hold no human memory trial for it.[4]
More on Selank
Sources
- 1[A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2014PMID 25176261Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 2Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine · 2019PMID 31625062Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3[COMPARISON OF PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HEPTAPEPTIDE SELANK AFTER INTRANASAL AND INTRAPERITONEAL ADMINISTRATION TO BALB/c AND C57BL/6 MICE.].Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia · 2016PMID 29787664Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 4[Experimental optimization of learning and memory processes by selank].Eksperimental'naia i klinicheskaia farmakologiia · 2010PMID 20919548Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5[Compensatory and antiamnestic effects of heptapeptide Selank in monkeys].Zhurnal evoliutsionnoi biokhimii i fiziologii · 2008PMID 18727417Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 6The optimizing action of the synthetic peptide Selank on a conditioned active avoidance reflex in rats.Neuroscience and behavioral physiology · 2003PMID 14552529Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 7Official web pageOfficial web page · web page
- 8[Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank].Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2015PMID 26356395Accessed 2 Oct 2026
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