New 4-phenylpyrrolidone derivatives were designed from racetam structures that combine nootropic and anticonvulsant activity. The proposed compounds were synthesized using 4-phenylpyrrolidone and aromatic amines. The anticonvulsant activity of the new compounds was studied. The structure–activity relationship was analyzed. The most active compound was the 2,6-dimethylanilide of (2-oxo-4-phenylpyrrolidin-1-yl)acetic acid at doses of 2.5 – 5.0 mg/kg, which surpassed the reference drug levetiracetam at doses of 2.5 – 600 mg/kg in all tests and possessed distinct nootropic activity that was comparable to that of the reference nootropic drug piracetam at a dose of 400 mg/kg.