Smart Drugs and Brain Pills
The varying drug options, or FDA approved pharmaceuticals that claim to, or have been found to somehow affect cognitive abilities, are rather wide. However, the actual effects of these drugs is at times limited.
Piracetam for example is a commonly prescribed drug in Europe, though not often in the US, that has been found to increase brain operation in dyslexic children. It’s medical uses are extremely varied, used for everything from dyslexia to headaches, but no absolute results can be decided on as to whether it actually increases the ability of human memory.
A similar drug, developed in the 1980s to treat dementia, Hydergine, actually dilates the blood vessels in the brain. It’s believed that by increasing blood circulation and metabolism in the brain, things like memory transfer and retention can also be enhanced. However, the drug fell out of favor in most cases due to the lack of long term results in those Dementia patients. The drug, like many other smart drugs stimulates different receptors in the brain. However, like many other smart drugs, the exact method of its operation is unknown.
Other than drugs like Piracetam that actually affect the various receptors in the brain, there are others that act on neurotransmitters, or the method by which the brain communicates with itself. Caffeine and nicotine are both members of this group, drugs that increase alertness in the brain.
Substantially more potent drugs though, such as Physostigmine work to actually inhibit certain chemicals that cause diseases like Alzheimer’s and stimulate other parts of the brain that are believed to be related to memory retention and alertness. Actually found effective in short bursts, it has been used to treat Alzheimer’s and brain trauma. However, for varying reasons, prolonged use has been found to be detrimental and can cause other brain related conditions.
Vasopressin is actually a chemical made by the human body, released by the pituitary gland that affects numerous aspects of our bodies; things like kidney function and fluid formation. When released into the brain though, it’s believed to have effects on formation of memories, reflexes, and brain responsiveness. The results are somewhat under debate, but Vasopressin is still in the works as a “smart pill” option.
Selegiline is another drug that turns out to be incredibly versatile. Originally developed to treat Parkinsons, it has recently become popular for treating everything from narcolepsy, to depression, to the male libido. As a smart pill, it can be found as Deprenyl, one of the more popular options for those seeking memory enhancing pills. It should be noted though that in Japan the drug has been labeled as a stimulant, similar to illegal drugs and is thus only allowed as a controlled substance.
The line between stimulants and smart drugs is a fine one, especially as many of these smart pills operate on numerous pats of the brain in a way that often times is not fully understood.
Another drug that similarly isn’t fully understood but has seen decent results in the field is Memantine, the only approved drug for us in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s patients. It hasn’t been tested on normal healthy adults, but its positive effects on cognition and memory retention, however small, are good indicators of its potential.
A similar drug, Galantamine, derived from the bulb of the Caucasian snow drop plant, has been recommended against by the FDA in use with Alzheimer’s patients; however it is still available via the internet.
The list of drugs goes on and on, most all of them available via the internet or pharmacy, many of which have shown minimal side effects. However, with any such drug, the effects are still largely unknown. They have often only been tested on animals, or in very rare cases with Alzheimer’s or brain damaged patients. For that reason, the effect on the average person may not be the same.
Regardless, there are numerous drugs that have been found to actually alter the effectiveness of the brain’s memory creating abilities. It’s only a matter of time before a true smart pill arrives, the kind Tommy pops before a history exam instead of studying those notes one extra time.
