Based on a systematic review and meta- analysis we show that expectations regarding the effectiveness of these drugs exceed their actual effects , as has been demonstrated in single- or double-blind r and omised controlled trials .
For methylpheni date an improvement of memory was found , but no consistent evidence for other enhancing effects was uncovered .
Modafinil on the other h and , was found to improve attention for well-rested individuals , while maintaining wakefulness , memory and executive functions to a significantly higher degree in sleep deprived individuals than did a placebo .
However , repeated doses of modafinil were unable to prevent deterioration of cognitive performance over a longer period of sleep deprivation though maintaining wakefulness and possibly even inducing overconfidence in a person 's own cognitive performance
The term neuroenhancement refers to improvement in the cognitive , emotional and motivational functions of healthy individuals through , inter alia , the use of drugs .
Of known interventions , psychopharmacology provides readily available options , such as methylpheni date and modafinil .
Both drugs are presumed to be in widespread use as cognitive enhancers for non-medical reasons .
Methylphenidate Enhances Working Memory by Modulating Discrete Frontal and Parietal Lobe Regions in the Human Brain
The indirect catecholamine agonist methylpheni date ( Ritalin ) is the drug treatment of choice in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( AD/HD ) , one of the most common behavioral disorders of childhood ( DSM-IV ) , although symptoms may persist into adulthood . Methylpheni date can enhance cognitive performance in adults and children diagnosed with AD/HD ( Kempton et al. , 1999 ; Riordan et al. , 1999 ) and also in normal human volunteers on tasks sensitive to frontal lobe damage , including aspects of spatial working memory ( SWM ) performance ( Elliott et al. , 1997 ) . The present study investigated changes in regional cerebral blood flow ( rCBF ) induced by methylpheni date during performance of a self-ordered SWM task to define the neuroanatomical loci of the beneficial effect of the drug . The results show that the methylpheni date -induced improvements in working memory performance occur with task-related reductions in rCBF in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex . The beneficial effects of methylpheni date on working memory were greatest in the subjects with lower baseline working memory capacity . This is to our knowledge the first demonstration of a localization of a drug-induced improvement in SWM performance in humans and has relevance for underst and ing the treatment of AD/HD
Based on a systematic review and meta- analysis we show that expectations regarding the effectiveness of these drugs exceed their actual effects , as has been demonstrated in single- or double-blind r and omised controlled trials .
For methylpheni date an improvement of memory was found , but no consistent evidence for other enhancing effects was uncovered .
Modafinil on the other h and , was found to improve attention for well-rested individuals , while maintaining wakefulness , memory and executive functions to a significantly higher degree in sleep deprived individuals than did a placebo .
However , repeated doses of modafinil were unable to prevent deterioration of cognitive performance over a longer period of sleep deprivation though maintaining wakefulness and possibly even inducing overconfidence in a person 's own cognitive performance
The term neuroenhancement refers to improvement in the cognitive , emotional and motivational functions of healthy individuals through , inter alia , the use of drugs .
Of known interventions , psychopharmacology provides readily available options , such as methylpheni date and modafinil .
Both drugs are presumed to be in widespread use as cognitive enhancers for non-medical reasons .