Cognitive Enhancers: Can Drugs Make You Smarter?
Considering the popularity and controversy around these drugs, do they actually enhance cognition in healthy adults?
Intoxication, reduced inhibition and clouded judgement are probably among the first things you think of when it comes to drugs. But what about smart drugs or cognitive enhancers?
These are an interesting set. Cognitive enhancement refers to the techniques healthy individuals use to improve their cognitive abilities by using psychoactive drugs in demanding environments.
These drugs are prescribed for conditions such as ADHD or narcolepsy. However, they are very much illegal if taken without a prescription.
There are various drugs that fall under this cognitive enhancing category, all working slightly differently. They sharpen focus, attention and wakefulness — making it understandable why they are prescribed to individuals with attention deficits or those that have problems staying awake (narcoleptics).
However, cognitive enhancers have become increasingly popular among university students for studying. Individuals often take them when they are tired, over-worked in the workplace or during exam time to study ‘better.’
As these drugs are increasingly used by a population that do not have a medical reason to, it is of interest to determine whether they are actually effective for enhancing cognition.
A very recent study conducted a series of meta-analyses looking at the difference in cognition between cognitive enhancing drugs and placebo in healthy adults across 47 studies.
The evidence base for Modafinil, methylphenidate (brand name Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (brand name Adderall) was assessed. Modafinil is commonly prescribed for narcolepsy, whereas Ritalin and Adderall are both used to treat ADHD.
On a variety of cognitive functions, Modafinil and Ritalin showed small improvements in performance. However, Adderall showed no evidence for cognitive enhancement.
Modafinil showed small effects on updating working memory. Ritalin showed small improvements in recall, inhibitory control and sustained attention.
What this evidence suggests is that Modafinil and Ritalin have certain cognitive enhancing abilities in healthy adults. However, effects are small.
And whether this translates to better productivity at work or an academic environment is very questionable. As experimental conditions are not highly reflective of real life and the effects of these drugs are small and transient, the ability for these drugs to enhance cognition significantly is unlikely.
We also shouldn’t take these findings at face value. As this was a meta-analysis, it makes it difficult to compare studies as the same cognitive function can be measured in various ways.
Overall, cognitive enhancement and whether it exists is an interesting concept. It raises the question whether these drugs should be called enhancer at all, if they only hold small effects for healthy adults.
It is a rather bizarre (and perhaps a little scary) that neurotypical individuals can ‘enhance’ their thinking. Probably a good thing that if something seems like it is too good to be true, it usually is!
