Abstract
Stimulants have been used throughout human history for a variety of reasons. High levels of stress and the demanding nature of medical school make their usage among medical students particularly common. The most prevalent stimulant used by students is coffee, followed by tea and other forms of caffeine like sugary energy drinks. In addition, amphetamine-based medications for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been increasing in popularity, which many students take illicitly. Students report taking various forms of stimulants to promote cognitive enhancement, prolong wakefulness and retain focus for long periods of time. Moderate doses of caffeine and amphetamines would lead to enhanced alertness and concentration. However, large increases in dosage or frequency would lead to an increased risk of toxicity and adverse effects. The positive outcomes from stimulant consumption are often overshadowed by the negative side effects and incorrect dosage. Thus, it appears that usage of stimulants should be limited, in favor of a more sustainable approach to cognitive enhancement.This review analyzes the use of stimulants among the medical student community, consequences of misuse and discussed the healthy and organic approaches to lessen the stress and improve academic performance. This article also discusses the mechanisms of action, acceptable doses, additives, ingredients of stimulants commonly used by medical students for cognitive enhancement and the implications of long-term use as the stress of practicing medicine extends well beyond the medical school years.
Highlights
BackgroundThe use of stimulants in a variety of forms is common practice among a majority of the world’s population
It is possible that those who take the stimulants are struggling academically and the focus enhancement from the drug leads to their grade point average (GPA) being average when compared to those who do not rely on stimulants
There were six studies on caffeinated drink use among medical students (Table 1) which included 3154 students, and among them most used coffee as a source of caffeine and some of them used high caffeinated energy drinks to cope with academic stress and wakefulness [17,18,19,20,21,22]
Summary
BackgroundThe use of stimulants in a variety of forms is common practice among a majority of the world’s population. The popularity of misuse likely stems from the idea that the use of these stimulants will improve focus, attention, and academic performance. Students may struggle to perform well on early-morning exams and rely on stimulants that make them alert in hopes of higher scores. Some studies discuss that the use of stimulants may provide an unfair advantage in the form of increased attentiveness or improvement in academics [2]. It is possible that those who take the stimulants are struggling academically and the focus enhancement from the drug leads to their grade point average (GPA) being average when compared to those who do not rely on stimulants. Studies show that while these drugs increase focus, those that use amphetamines do not have a higher GPA than non-users [2]. Stimulant users may perceive this fatigue as an indication of requiring even more stimulants, this requires further research and evaluation
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