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In Brief
- College students and executives ingest stimulant drugs to enhance routine mental performance, although the compounds were never approved for that purpose.
- Some ethicists and neuroscientists have raised the prospect of making these drugs widely available for enhancement of healthy people who do not suffer from dementia.
- Questions remain about whether any drug that tinkers with basic mental functioning will be sufficiently safe and effective to be consumed like coffee or tea.
The symbol H+ is the code sign used by some futurists to denote an enhanced version of humanity. The plus version of the human race would deploy a mix of advanced technologies, including stem cells, robotics, cognition-enhancing drugs, and the like, to overcome basic mental and physical limitations.
The notion of enhancing mental functions by gulping down a pill that improves attention, memory and planning—the very foundations of cognition—is no longer just a fantasy shared by futurists. The 1990s, proclaimed the decade of the brain by President George H. W. Bush, has been followed by what might be labeled “the decade of the better brain.”
This article was originally published with the title Turbocharging the Brain.
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30 Comments
Add CommentReally, anyone that could even THINK of this should have their head examined.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat's comes after that - pills to make people docile and obedient?
Okay.. we'll see how your performance is next decade if you're left behind on the nootropic wave, Candide.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat assumes, Crucialitis, that the long term effects of the drug don't render you incapable of making such a simple comparison.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBrain stimmulents are used for a long time. Maybe the new drugs are not well tested, but somewoane must test them... :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have had my head examined, candide. and guess what. I have memory problems! I would happily try it if it would help. By the way, that thing in your mouth is your foot. Think about it next time.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust like anything else it can be useful and abused. I am sure this could be quite useful and sure that people will try to use it in various strange ways. Take steroids . . your body requires them, they can be used to treat problems and they can be abused to do amazing but untimely detrimental things with the body.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find it strange people go all "bipolar" on every new thing, chances are the reality is in the middle.
Also is the case with allot of things with the body, too much or not enough is almost always bad.
Take caffeine it is a common stimulant. The more you take the more wired you get (can be a good thing) though the more constantly you take it the less effect it has (a new equilibrium is found) . . so effectively, as with allot of other substances, the effect it only/most useful from the base state. "No peak without the dip" .. People normally do not like that idea and try to keep the benefit and dodge the detriment and so the problems start.
So depending on how this drug works best (a long slow build up to a optimum level or a periodic booster) I am sure people will not follow those instructions. In the end? so what? you can abuse anything this has good benefit to people.
Just like anything else it can be useful and abused. I am sure this could be quite useful and sure that people will try to use it in various strange ways. Take steroids . . your body requires them, they can be used to treat problems and they can be abused to do amazing but untimely detrimental things with the body.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find it strange people go all "bipolar" on every new thing, chances are the reality is in the middle.
Also is the case with allot of things with the body, too much or not enough is almost always bad.
Take caffeine it is a common stimulant. The more you take the more wired you get (can be a good thing) though the more constantly you take it the less effect it has (a new equilibrium is found) . . so effectively, as with allot of other substances, the effect it only/most useful from the base state. "No peak without the dip" .. People normally do not like that idea and try to keep the benefit and dodge the detriment and so the problems start.
So depending on how this drug works best (a long slow build up to a optimum level or a periodic booster) I am sure people will not follow those instructions. In the end? so what? you can abuse anything this has good benefit to people.
Being an individual with a documented learning disability of ADHD and having had taken such "drugs" for years now it only makes me wonder how this would all turn out. I do know that on days where I have forgotten to take my pills that things do tend to become much more "interesting".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut I do protest that socially there is a stigma with those of us who do need such things to exist in society. It seems as though many of my fellow ADHD patients feel that they have something wrong with them. I highly disagree since we tend to have above average intelligence and exceptional creativity. I am personally quite happy that I possess this disorder as it has attributed to my success in sales over the years over and over again.
But, I digress. I don't believe I have ever read anything about long lasting side effects due to any of the drugs, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any. I believe if this makes humans as a whole excell than all who wish to give it a try should be allowed to do so.
The issue with this article is that nootropics require an extremely high safety profile to be categorized as one. Ritalin cannot be classified as one in my opinion (due to physiological effects). Look into the LD50 of nootropil/piracetam, the original nootropic, for instance.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the end it would be preferable if before bashing such a brilliant idea, the "basher" look into the various studies done on these drugs.
Look for instance into Bacopa, an Ayurvedic nootropic herb which has anti anxiety and memory boosting effects .
scholar.google.com is an excellent resource.
IQ is boosted by studying and then applying logic in your life. The easiest way to start is by analysing the thoughts and actions of Mr Spock in the 'Starship Enterprise' series. The writer of the character has an IQ of 250. If you want to boost your IQ even further then study Plato afterwards. Live long and prosper!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdo they help mentaly retrated people . do they make those people near normal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdo they help people with low IQ or Mentally retardation to be normal or near normal
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think this is a interesting discovery, I 'm sure it's not new to ancient cultures, like in Asia,Africa, etc...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's just that now modern science/scientists sees a way to gain a profit from such discoveries, while at the same time publicizing, inviting use of such products would hopefully benefit humanity at large in a positive way.
scruickshank1972 must be extremly conservatory. How old are you...olmost 40? Well at this age you could be more creative. Drusg as coffe an lecithin are well tested and when used wisely they are wery usefull. Obiously, you must not abuse none of these.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou could also stop eating since many off the chemicals found in foods can harm you. Walking can harm you also, a car could hit you. :) Some peoples have a mental range that equals zero, witch they call it their point of view. :))
Probably the most unheralded drug that provides a temporary mental boost is nicotine. Many a problem has been solved following a smoke break, and that wasn't just coincidence.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTobacco was originally used by Native Americans for high level ceremonial purposes, undoubtedly because the mental effect achieved helped the brain digest important information.
came across this article on the web while searching for brain pills does it mention OTC products like brainquicken or Focus fast??
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't want to spend money on these things unless they work
Silly people, you say that you have ADHD and your stimulants help your concentrate. I say I have weak muscles and steroids make me stronger; is this justification to take steroids??
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have tried modafinil. Had a great experience. Straight A's in 21 units while working fulltime and maintaining presidency of an on-campus club that semester. Would try again.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat is an excellent question. I would be interested in reading studies about the possible use of these drugs to improve the cognitive performance of individuals with below average mental capabilities.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust like zaomeiyue, I've tried modafinil. I received straight A's throughout my years at UC Berkeley. The long-term effects are still a big question mark. Because I'm risk averse, I decided to only take natural brain supplements since graduating. I tested several brands while shopping online and at my local Whole Foods. Of the eight I tested over the past 3 years, I've only had notable success with SmarterFocus. However, for the upcoming LSATs, I'll be relying on my trusty modafinil ;)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMentatpsi is right about Piracetam. It's a shame that class of substances is s difficult to obtain these days, they were absolutely wonderful to have around. Friends of mine that had severe ADHD started taking Aniracetam daily instead of their adderall. Common pharmacological sense about illicit drugs says that taking any harsh stimulant such as ritalin or adderall on a daily basis would deplete the brain of dopamine and eventually cause dependency. Seems as if this knowledge shouldn't be held as a double standard to view the good doctor's meds in a better light, right? My friends started to feel happier and more motivated without much of a noticeable crash, piracetam especially seems to work as an adaptagen to improve your overall mental state over time instead of in semieuphoric daily prescribed bursts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLike caffeine, moderation can be key with more potent members of the racetam class of nootropics in order to retain their usefulness. However, there are no drawbacks to go without them once you've started taking them. This again is unlike current ADHD prescriptions. Piracetam and Aniracetam have studies with statistically significant data demonstrating their ability to repair function in damaged parts of the brain over time, especially for schizophrenics and alzheimer's patients. I can also tell you from personal experience it works wonders not only for anxiety, depression, and overall lack of motivation but also curbs cigarette cravings almost completely. As far as toxicity goes, it's safer than aspirin.
The effect of Adderall is to increase neurotransmitter availability in the synapse, by both releasing more neurotransmitters, as well as prolonging their availability in the synapse by slowing their removal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo my question is will receptors down regulate in response to this increase of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft thereby rendering the drug useless after time?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the article “Turbocharging the Brain” from Scientific American (October 2009 Volume 301 Number 4, Pages 46-55), Gary Stix tries to answer two questions about cognitive enhancers 1. do they work, and 2. are they a good idea. Some adults, specifically executives and college students take drugs such as Ritalin, Adderal and others to enhance cognitive function such as focus and alertness, even though these drugs were not meant for that purpose. Neuroscientists have discussed the possibility of making similar drugs available not only to help with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or dementia, but to enhance people’s brains that don’t have these conditions. A common debate concerning such brainpower enhancing drugs is that while they increase diligence and focus on simple, menial tasks, other tests show that these drugs may make you do worse on more challenging tasks. This is because they make you feel like you’re doing exceptional when in fact, you aren’t.
This was a very interesting article, because it discusses a topic that could directly affects my generation. The idea of having a pill that you could take and suddenly be super-focused and have energy seems to come straight from a sci-fi movie. The aim of the article is to inform the reader about this controversial, yet highly quixotic idea. A timeline of the progression of various stimulants and their use since 1929 is presented. Some unanswered questions remain, however. First, can neurologists ensure that these drugs are effective, safe and available on shelves, and if so how long will that process take? The potential risks of side effects must also be addiction, effects on the heart and seizures and rashes. This is an important article for high school students, and it gets the idea across that despite what you might hear there are no safe short cuts to becoming smart, you have to just buckle down and study. This overall, was a very informative, interesting article on a very current topic for a young person near the beginning of their academic journey.
- BJM
Just like anabolic steroids for hormone and muscular development. These drugs can be used for ethical purposes (i.e. correcting/reducing the effects of certain developmental defects in children and adolescents). They will, just as with steroids, need to be very heavily regulated and of course banned from schools and any sort of competitions.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is always a negative feedback loop when taking the body out of homostesis. Although with new drugs we may be able to down regulate receptor desensitization. Even through dietary change via ketosis there are neuroprotective eFfects on dopamine neurons along with changes in glutamate function which directly eFfects dopamine availability and production. Other approaches may come by way of selective d 2 receptor agonists which act on the receptors by binding but not increasing dopamine levels like amphetamines. Atypical anti physchotics like amisulpride at low doses improve dopamine transmission which may be another option without desensitization. Please contact me at Ducatis@aol.com for discussion. Thank you
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAbsolutely! They already exist too!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthere are no safe short cuts to becoming smart
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is ludicrous to think ADHD meds contribute to one's intelligence quotient.
The meds correct an imbalance of neurotransmitters in one's brain which permits sustained attention to tasks and inhibits distractibility which allows the individual to access what was previously inaccessible.
Kind of like, you've always had the full six pack, but was missing the plastic thing that holds it all together. It is like putting on one's eyeglasses.
Reference: My Brain Still Needs Glasses, by Dr. Annick Vincent.
I also have diagnosed Crohn's disease, and some undiagnosed ADD. My mental focus over the years (5 years since I was diagnosed) has gone down the crapper...yea, I know, not very punny. My mind is cloudy, I forget things unless it's written down, and remembering any of my clients names (again, without writing them down) is nearly impossible. I'm in IT (in house technician), and even a day or two after I work on one clients computer, I cannot remember their name, or which computer is theirs, yet I do recognize their face. It's very troubling, and my co-workers must think I'm on some street drugs, or that I'm daft. These drugs do sound very promising, and getting the "original" nootropics online is still very likely (found 2 retailers online that still sell piracetam today and ship everywhere).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI too (like the focalist) would like to know if these "drugs" may negatively/positively affect people with Crohn's disease. I will be personally trying the piracetam once again (it was awefully sour, and I didn't know it could be mixed with juice like cranberry) in the next 30-60 days.
I'll try and post a follow up, if any of you on the "net" see this article and it's been 30-60 days, please post and I'll be watching the article through the email reminder option that this site has (as my memory is literally that bad! :)
)
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishey guys whats this "drug" called your all talking about??
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