Abstract
ABSTRACTThe so-called cognitive enhancers have been widely and increasingly used by healthy individuals who seek improvements in cognitive performance despite having no pathologies. One drug used for this purpose is methylphenidate, a first-line drug for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the effect of acute administration of varying doses of methylphenidate (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and placebo) on a wide range of cognitive functions in healthy young people. Methods: A total of 36 young university students and graduates participated in the study. The participants underwent tests of attention and of episodic, and working memory. Results: No differences in performance were observed on any of the tests. There was a dose-dependent (40 mg > placebo) effect on self-reported wellbeing. Conclusions: According to the recent literature, psychostimulant medications, such as methylphenidate, improve performance when cognitive processes are below an optimal level, which was not the case for the subjects of the present study. We suggest the impression that methylphenidate enhances cognitive performance in healthy young people, justifying its use, may be due to improvements in subjective wellbeing promoted by the drug.
Highlights
On the sustained attention task, a ceiling effect was observed for all subjects
The objective of the present study was to verify the effects of methylphenidate on various cognitive functions in healthy young people
Attention was not altered after acute administration of the drug, possibly due to a ceiling effect reached by the participants, who obtained maximum scores on the tests
Summary
Cognitive enhancers are drugs prescribed to improve cognitive performance in elderly patients and those with dementia or to promote better quality of life in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders or brain trauma.[1,2,3] the administration of these drugs has gone beyond clinical indications, being increas-ingly used by healthy individuals seeking to improve their cognitive, emotional, and motivational functioning.[4,5,6] Students use stimulant medications to improve academic performance, by increasing levels of concentration and organization, and remaining awake longer for studying.[6,7] Shift workers who perform functions at night (e.g., drivers and pilots) seek to improve their cognitive performance by using cognitive enhancers, giving rise to situations that warrant careful attention.[1,2,3]The use of drugs as cognitive enhancers is a controversial issue that involves various points of view and has enormous economic, ethical, and scientific implications.[1]. Ingly used by healthy individuals seeking to improve their cognitive, emotional, and motivational functioning.[4,5,6] Students use stimulant medications to improve academic performance, by increasing levels of concentration and organization, and remaining awake longer for studying.[6,7] Shift workers who perform functions at night (e.g., drivers and pilots) seek to improve their cognitive performance by using cognitive enhancers, giving rise to situations that warrant careful attention.[1,2,3]. Chatterjee (2009)[10] argues that non-therapeutic use of cognitive enhancers is premature because the efficacy and risk of these drugs in healthy individuals needs considerably more investigation
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