[Neuropsychiatric Effects of Creatine: What Does the Preclinical and Clinical Evidence Conclude?]

Creatine is a compound with putative neuropsychiatric effects.

To assess the impact of creatine supplementation on affective disorders and cognitive function.

Relevant studies developed in non-human animal models (preclinical evidence) and in humans (clinical evidence) were analyzed to discuss potential mechanisms of action and effectiveness in different clinical scenarios, respectively.

Initially, we describe the activity of creatine at the brain level, highlighting its bioenergetic role and its role in modulating pathways related to neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity. Creatine has shown a significant effect as an adjuvant in the therapy of affective disorders and as an enhancer of different dimensions of cognitive function.

These results have been obtained from studies with observational and experimental design and from systematic reviews with meta-analysis. Further studies are required to validate these effects and to establish administration protocols in different population groups and in some more particular ones, such as vegetarians, women and subjects exposed to high cognitive demand or stress. Likewise, the potential effect on people with bipolar disorder is more uncertain.