I was no stranger to a couple of them. I had heard of the ADHD treatment drug known as Ritalin (methylphenidate) and had known a couple of friends who had been prescribed the drug. For a short time in high school, I was diagnosed with mild ADD and took moderate doses of Adderall to increase my focus. The drug's initial effect was immediately noticeable: I had intense focus throughout the day, and was more interested in some of the class material at school than I otherwise would have been (we were learning about Emily Dickinson in English that day, and...well, let's just say she's not my muse). I also experienced the loss of appetite, feeling of stimulation, and mild insomnia that the doctor had told me was pretty likely. Over time, I started to notice Adderall's effect less and less. Later, I would only take it on the day of a big test or other important event; and eventually I ceased using it entirely.
This student's presentation caught my attention because it had never crossed my mind that thousands of people with no mental deficiencies whatsoever take these drugs in the hope of becoming smarter, more creative, or more mentally fit than their peers, coworkers, and competitors. The concept of swallowing a substance to give myself an intelligence boost was intriguing. I wrote my post about creativity shortly after this experience, spurred on by the idea that a drug might be able to make me more creative.
Noticing the excitement many people have about these "revolutionary" drugs, Hollywood's started to pander to the public's idea of smart pills. Lucy and Limitless both toy with the idea of a drug that can unleash untold mental power (though the idea that we only use 10% of our brains is completely untrue and ridiculous).
I followed my interest in this topic until I decided to make it the subject of my undergraduate honors thesis, so I've done a fair bit of research into the objective cognitive effects of some of these drugs. Spoiler alert: they don't live up to the hype. Many studies have found a significant enhancement of one or more cognitive skills by Ritalin or Adderall in healthy individuals, but the effect is usually small. Often, when there is an effect, it is most dramatic for those who started out as low performers; proficiently intelligent people usually didn't benefit and sometimes experienced impairment with increasing doses.
Despite the evidence against the characterization of these substances as "smart drugs", many experts and ethicists push to make pharmaceuticals like these available to anyone who wants them, ADHD diagnosis or not. Others think that widespread availability will just lead to more social inequality: the rich will find it easier to get their hands on smart pills, and will simply become more successful while those who are unable to obtain them continue to suffer. I'm still somewhat divided on the issue, and I'm not sure exactly what position I'll end up taking in my thesis. Common drugs like Adderall and Ritalin aren't without their side effects; dependency is possible, and one aspiring medical student spiraled into psychosis, addiction and eventually suicide on nothing but Adderall, collected entirely under prescription by licensed psychiatrists. Still, college students across the nation illegally obtain Adderall from peers to cram for exams or pull all-nighters to write a paper.
More recently, several drugs have come on the market that supposedly have a less severe side effect profile. Modafinil, an FDA-approved treatment for narcolepsy, and cholinesterase inhibitors, for the treatment of Alzheimer's, are gaining underground popularity as the new generation of neuroenhancers. Anecdotal evidence is rampant regarding individuals' experiences with these drugs and others, detailing the positive effects and the success stories.
Smart drugs are an interesting ethical issue to debate. If a drug existed that was proven to have a significant positive impact on whoever took it, and exhibited little to no risk, would you take it? Would you want friends and family members to take it? How would you feel if anyone and everyone could take it? Would you want to limit its distribution in any way?
Comment with your thoughts if you're interested.
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