Thousands may be taking brain-boosting drugs – but their side-effects are unknown, experts warn today.
These drugs, which include methylphenidate (sold as Ritalin) and modafinil (sold as Provigil), are marketed as improving concentration, memory, and other aspects of brain performance.
The drugs, which have distinct mechanisms, effects, and legal status, were mostly developed originally to treat impaired cognition in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia.
Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry today (1 April), Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Sharon Morein-Zamir of Cambridge University, UK, warn that governments, the global pharmaceutical industry, and national medical organisations must work together to clarify these harms and benefits.
"We simply do not know enough about how many healthy people are using cognitive-enhancing drugs, in what ways and why," they state.
It appears these drugs are being used to gain an advantage at school, university, or work, and for maintaining attention and performance when sleep derived or jet lagged. Between 5% and 35% of students in the USA are thought to use them. But this could be just the tip of the iceberg, say the authors.
"Present cognitive-enhancing drugs have wide ranging effects and side effects and are not predictable," the experts write. "We also know next to nothing about their long-terms effects in healthy people."
They urge funders and policy-makers to prioritise research in this area, as "reliable evidence is crucial for a balanced view on the risks and benefits of these drugs and to set out clear regulatory guidelines for their use."
Sahakian, B. J. and Morein-Zamir, S. Pharmacological cognitive enhancement: treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and lifestyle use by healthy people. Lancet 1 April 2015
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