Enhancing cognition in the intellectually intact

Hastings Cent Rep. 1997 May-Jun;27(3):14-22.

Abstract

As science learns more about how the brain works, and fails to work, the possibility for developing "cognition enhancers" becomes more plausible. And the demand for drugs that can help us think faster, remember more, and focus more keenly has already been demonstrated by the market success of drugs like Ritalin, which tames the attention span, and Prozac, which ups the competitive edge. The new drug Aricept, which improves memory, most likely will join them. Whether such drugs are good for individuals, or for society, is an open question, one that demands far more public discussion.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Diseases
  • Cognition / drug effects
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Comprehension*
  • Disclosure
  • Drug and Narcotic Control
  • Ego
  • Ethics, Medical*
  • Federal Government
  • Government Regulation
  • Health*
  • Humans
  • Morals
  • Nootropic Agents / pharmacology
  • Nootropic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Paternalism*
  • Personality
  • Risk Assessment*
  • Social Justice

Substances

  • Nootropic Agents