In conclusion , a number of new active drugs were found to improve some cognitive functions , in particular verbal episodic memory .
Pharmacological cognitive enhancement refers to improvement in cognitive functions after drug use in healthy individuals .
This popular topic attracts attention both from the general public and the scientific community .
The objective was to explore innovative mechanisms of psychostimulant 's action , whose potential effectiveness was assessed in r and omized placebo-controlled trials ( RCTs ) .
Catechol O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism is Associated with Cognitive Performance in Nondemented Adults
The catechol O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) gene is essential in the metabolic degradation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex . In the present study , we examined the effect of a Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene on individual differences and changes in cognition ( executive functions and visuospatial ability ) in adulthood and old age . The participants were 292 nondemented men ( initially aged 35 - 85 years ) from a r and om sample of the population ( i.e. , the Betula study ) tested at two occasions with a 5-year interval .  Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the underlying structure of three indicators of executive functions ( verbal fluency , working memory , and Tower of Hanoi ) . Associations between COMT , age , executive functioning , and visuospatial ( block design ) tasks were examined using repeated- measures analyses of variance . Carriers of the Val allele ( with higher enzyme activity ) compared with carriers of the Met/Met genotype ( with low enzyme activity ) performed worse on executive functioning and visuo-spatial tasks . Individuals with the Val/Val genotype declined in executive functioning over the 5-year period , whereas carriers of the Met allele remained stable in performance . An Age COMT interaction for visuospatial ability located the effect for middle-aged men only . This COMT polymorphism is a plausible c and i date gene for executive functioning and fluid intelligence in nondemented middle-aged and older adults
In conclusion , a number of new active drugs were found to improve some cognitive functions , in particular verbal episodic memory .
Pharmacological cognitive enhancement refers to improvement in cognitive functions after drug use in healthy individuals .
This popular topic attracts attention both from the general public and the scientific community .
The objective was to explore innovative mechanisms of psychostimulant 's action , whose potential effectiveness was assessed in r and omized placebo-controlled trials ( RCTs ) .