Enhancement Of Cognitive Performance Research Articles

Dose-dependent enhancement of cognitive performance in young volunteers by a single doses of Ginseng

Dose-dependent enhancement of cognitive performance in young volunteers by a single doses of Ginseng

The Situation � Trait Adaptive Response (STAR) Model of Drug Use, Effects, and Craving

This review examines situational and trait factors that influence drug use, craving, and the affect-modulating effects of drugs. Situation- and personality-dependent cognitive, emotional, and biological effects of psychoactive drugs are addressed within the context of the recently developed Situation by Trait Adaptive Response (STAR) model. It is argued that drugs do not have inherent (situation- and trait-independent) effects on emotion and related affective processes. Emotion modulation is accomplished by three overall mechanisms: (1) enhanced goal achievement via cognitive performance enhancement; (2) alteration of cognitive capacity and/or attentional processes; and (3) cognitive-affective information priming/biasing towards positive associations and away from negative schemas. Further, the lateralized neural network hypothesis of the STAR model is extended from previous formulations to provide an integrative framework for understanding relationships of cognitive, affective, and learning mechanisms underlying drug use urges and behaviour. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.