An array of brain-boosting medications — some available and others in development — promise an era of better thinking through chemistry. New potential mind-enhancing drugs may bring more powerful, more targeted and more lasting improvements in mental acuity than the rudimentary cognition boosters — e.g. amphetamines — with which many are familiar from college all-nighters or long-haul drives.
The last two decades’ neuroscience discoveries about localization of brain functions and delineation of the roles of various neurotransmitters, with the ‘deep pockets’ of the US military’s vested interest in enhancement of pilots’ and soldiers’ combat functions under stress and fatigue, have created an unprecedented climate for the development of these agents. Aging baby boomers are an enormous potential market for the brain enhancing chemicals.
Modafinil, whose approved indication is to treat narcolepsy, may be the first ‘smart drug’. It is not clear by what mechanism it combats fatigue, but it appears to enhance mental functioning even in healthy nonfatigued subjects, with little in the way of complications or side effects. Research subjects who have takenmodafinil pay closer attention and use information more effectively than subjects given a placebo. Faced with conflicting demands, people on modafinil shift from task to task and alter their cognitive strategies more efficiently.
Some speculate that the use of cognition-enhancing drugs will become as commonplace as having a cup of coffee, ushering in an era of ‘cosmetic neurology’. But neuroscientists say two factors could prevent total capitulation to the allure of smart drugs. First, their performance may not live up to expectations. This is a common phenomenon in science — a statistically significant effect is not necessarily significant enough in the real world. And, second, ‘There is no free lunch.’ Again, as is often true in clinical drug development, the extent of complications from the real-world use of these drugs may not be apparent from the outset. A drug that causes users to remember too much detail could clutter the brain with irrelevancies. Sharpening attention might cause excessively intense focus, making it more difficult to shift attention with new demands. In short, someone who notices or remembers everything may end up understanding nothing.
One skeptical psychologist commented:
“The brain was designed by evolution over the millennia to be well-adapted because of the lives we lead. Our lives are better served by being able to focus on the essential information than being able to remember every little detail. We meddle with these designs at our peril.” (LA Times)
