Cognitive Enhancers: All About Them

Science is a very fast field. One of the many fields that are studied thoroughly is Neuroscience and even here there are concepts that are studied for a better understanding of matter and functions of things.

One of these concepts is cognitive enhancement. Cognitive enhancement is a study concerning the use of drugs and any other biotechnological means to improve the cognitive capacity of human mind. The products of the studies underlying this concept are what is known as cognitive enhancers.

What are Cognitive Enhancers?

Cognitive enhancers refers to a specific group of drugs, supplements, or any functional foods that mainly functions as enhancers of the cognitive functioning of the brain and boost memory.

There are a lot of cognitive enhancers sold in the market today, each with their own functions. The most common is piracetam. Piracetam is actually the first nootropics drug developed during the 1960s. The main function of the drug is to help improve the memory, lengthen concentration and attention span, and improve clarity and focus. There arethree main derivatives of this drug that functions differently: aniracetam (mood enhancement), oxiracetam (logic enhancer), and pramiracetam (focus & concentration).

There are more smart drugs sold out there and their number is continuously increasing.

The Ups and Downs

The major benefit that can be gained from these cognitive enhancing drugs is that they help boost the memory, making them popular among students. These drugs also help develop and improve the focus and concentration of a person. A person who takes these drugs can also be seen with more motivation and less depressed. They are also found to be able to promote general good brain health by maintaining regular oxygen and blood flow to the brain.

There are drugs that only do a specific function among all stated above. However, there are also those that can do all the given functions.

Now, these drugs may have different benefits. However, they also have with them their own disadvantages.

Those who have intolerance against these drugs cannot use them because it may lead to allergy. Also, not all drugs will work on different people. One type may have worked on one but it may not work on the other. Hence, careful administration of the drugs must be observed.

Also, since these drugs are still manufactured chemically, moderation in their use must be strictly observed. Those smart drugs that are to be taken once or twice a week must be taken as such and not exceed the intake limit.