The use of dimiracetam in the treatment of chronic pain is disclosed. At doseshigher than those previously disclosed in relation with its cognition enhancingactivity (i.e. amelioration of learning and memory), dimiracetam was able tocompletely revert hyperalgesia or allodynia associated with several animalmodels of chronic pain. Dimiracetam showed high activity in iatrogenic neuropathiesassociated with antiviral and chemotherapeutic drug treatments and in painfulconditions caused by osteoarthritis. In addition, dimiracetam was devoid oftoxicity even at doses 10-fold higher than the highest therapeutic dose. Thepossibility of treating such debilitating pathologies with a highly effectiveand essentially non-toxic compound is therefore disclosed.
