The Negative Effects Of Cognitive Enhancing Drugs

The Clinton foundation reports that between the years 1993 and 2006, the magnitude of college students who use prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, has increased by 93%, which suggests that Adderall usage in universities are at a record high (Clinton 2015). According to the National Institute of health, cognitive enhancing drugs are pharmaceuticals that are taken to improve one’s memory, learning, focus, attention, and other cognitive skills (Mehlman 2004). Adderall is a central nervous stimulant that is prescribed by a primary physician for treating medical conditions such as narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Smith). Alan Desantis, a professor at the University of Kentucky, conducted a research

In an article, Cosmetic Neurology, wrote by Carole Wade and Carol Tavris, emphasis and outline the pros and cons of taking a “brain booster” or neuroenhancer drug to sharpen one’s concentration and memory: they referred cosmetic neurologist as, the use of drugs to move persons from a normal psychological state to another normal state that is more desired or better socially rewarded. Many people of different kinds of professionalism are taking one or more another of these drugs, either acquiring them illegally or getting them on their own prescriptions. Some of these drugs are Adderall, Ritalin, and Provigil, and even with caffeine being an especially popular one of choice. Provigil and Ritalin, a drug approved for treating

Memory dampening drugs are used when someone wants to forget or “dampen” the emotion that is associated with a memory, usually traumatic ones. The memory dampening drug that is most often discussed is called propranolol, it is used widely with those with PTSD. There is some debate about whether or not these memory dampening drugs are ethical for those using them. One organization on the end of the debate that believe memory dampening drugs are unethical and change people beyond who they truly are is the President’s Council of Bioethics (PCB), they are against the use of memory dampening drugs to suppress memory.

Most Americans have heard of Ritalin and Adderall, either being used to calm hyperactive children or used illegally across every college campus for the purpose of studying. These are two completely different circumstances, which may be confusing to some. The reason that these two different groups of people get two vastly different results from the same drug is that these belong to the drug class of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. CNS stimulants increase alertness mentally and physically, but do the opposite for those with hyperactivity disorders. This is because these drugs release dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is related with motivation (Healthline Editorial Team).

In this article, Talbot’s targeted audience plays a large role in the organization and choice of evidence that she provides to the reader. The targeted audience that Talbot reaches to are those readers who are interested in the use of the stimulants as cognitive enhancers and their benefits. Talbot’s choice of evidence through testimonials is a crucial part of her being effective toward the targeted audience because she uses the examples she knows that the readers want to hear. The extended use of Talbot’s “Alex” example in the article helps to support her

Sandra P. Thomas said in her short story “The debate about ‘Neuroenhancement’” that “In a study of more than 10,000 college students, rates were as high as 25% at some schools.” The use of such drugs are more likely seen in universities rather than community colleges. People who take neuroenhancement drugs may feel as if they have to since college is so competitiveness to get into. Neuroenhancement drugs are starting to become more popular. Thomas asked “Readers are you seeing young people in your clinical practice who are misusing stimulants?” Adderall, Ritalin, and Provigil are all drugs that people use to enhance the brain. Adderall and Ritalin are the most commonly used drug. Thomas stated in her essay that “The authors, prominent professors at institutions such as Stanford and Harvard, suggest that the drugs will prove ‘increasingly useful for improved quality of life and extended work productivity’” (669). Because neuroenhancing drugs are easily available, college students often use them despite the potential dangers posed by taking them without a prescription.

Humans have been seeking many different ways to improve their cognitive ability for thousands of years. For example, education has been used in order to learn and improve on cognitive ability and to improve our understanding of the world (Bostrom and Sandberg, 2009). With the advance of technology, resources and medicine, humans have managed to develop cognitive enhancing drugs that improve our cognitive ability by improving the attention, motivation and working memory.

Neuroenhancers are not difficult to obtain either with a prescription written by a physician, or from a family member that has been diagnosed with ADHD, or a form of mental- health issues.Seltzer comes to explore the idea that for some people it is important to enhance their mood so they go on to take antidepressants but for people like him it is important to enhance the brain so they take neuroenhancers. If people are properly informed about the risks and benefits of neuroenhancers, they can make an informed decision on whether to take them or not. Even though Drugs such as Adderall can cause nervousness, headaches, sleepless nights and decreased appetite, most people are being realistic about the effect of the drugs not to try and be the best but to simply aim to do better than they would otherwise not taking the neuroenhancers. Talbot comes to culminate that people who abuse the drug believe the pills are some sort of magical “smart drug” that have no side effects on the human

Cognitive enhancing drugs are referred to as nootropics, smart drugs, and memory enhancers. Cognitive enhancers are drugs that help improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration.

Nootropil Piracetam is the first true brain enhancing 'smart drug' and has therefore earned a unique place in medical history. It is renowned as a cognitive enhancer and for its ability to deliver virtually no side effects or toxicity. There has been vast research carried out on Piracetam and toxicity.

Stimulant Therapy is used to treat both moderate and severe ADHD and can increase alertness, attention, and energy in addition to elevating blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. This medication therapy may help children and adolescents focus their thoughts and ignore distractions to increase success across settings including at school, work, and home. The most commonly used stimulant medications are
methylphenidate and the
amphetamines. Evidence demonstrates that these
stimulants are safe when
prescribed to healthy children monitored
under medical supervision.21 (see table 1)

Nootropics are the smart drugs that we all, especially in school should take if it’s safe as it is advertised and the positive attention that the products received. A little background of the drugs, it is intended to help people improve better in terms of performance enhancer, maximize productivity, and achieve full potential. Basically, it helps the brain to work better. So, why not all students take the drugs? In fact, Szalavitz (2009) reported that about 7% of the university students in the United States have been taking nonmedical stimulant drugs. Most of these stimulant drugs are known to make a person more alert, or called the smart drugs. In reality, when we all have our conscious senses, there are always the side effects associated with any drugs or think carefully about what could happen in the long run in drugs use.

Ecstasy is both a hallucinogenic, causing hallucination, and a stimulant drug. Ecstasy is the name given to methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). It was first synthesized in 1912 by Merck chemist Anton Köllisch. Ecstasy appears to disturb the body 's ability to regulate its temperature and this can lead to serious problems with overheating of the body. Ecstasy can be swallowed as a pill or tablet or snorted like a powder. Users of ecstasy can experience a rush of good feelings, a high, and makes someone 's feelings much more intense, whether they 're good or bad feelings. Ecstasy’s effects usually last up to 6 hours.

Many psychiatric and psychoactive drugs that are available on the market, pharmaceutically or illegally, closely resemble neurotransmitters and are actually able to mimic it to the extent that it fools the receptors. Basically, these drugs hijack the neurotransmitters. Once these drugs are ingested, it enters into the brain, gets into the synapse and binds itself to the receptor. This then causes the inappropriate release of neurotransmitters and alter the breakdown and recycling of neurotransmitters or can be used to destroy particular neurotransmitters completely (Sapolsky, 2005, p. 14).

The Method the authors used instead of spending the time and effort and funds to do research in a lab to prove their hypothesis they pulled from others research and used them to formulate a conclusion. The authors also went step by step to explain all the necessary components needed for the reader to fully understand first the authors talked about drug effects and their association with learning, then color effects and their association with learning then chromatic and pharmacological associations, learning and homeostasis, then the evolution of behavioral mechanisms. The authors observed the results of the experiments they chose and came up with examples displaying the findings in a way that would be easier for the reader.