Wired Magazine: Just Say Yes to Doing the Right Drugs

[Expat98]

From an article in last month's Wired magazine. You can find more info on the drugs listed below by using the search engine. (Check the Nootropics forum especially.)

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Give Your Intellect a Boost — Just Say Yes to Doing the Right Drugs!

By Mathew Honan
04.21.08 | 6:00 PM

Brains + drugs = fried eggs, right? Not always. Some pills can boost your cognitive output. But we at Wired aren't doctors. Anyone who takes a bushel of drugs based on our say-so must be high.

SEE ATTACHED THUMBNAILS AT BOTTOM OF POST

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Text below is the same as in the images above and is included so that the search engine can index this post.

Adderall - Thought to optimize levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, enhancing concentration and turning mundane tasks into wondrous ones. Often prescribed to ADHD patients (wink, wink). Addiction, headaches, insomnia, Tourette's-like symptoms, heart attack


Aniracetam - Seems to boost release of glutamate, speeding neurotransmission and improving memory. Not a ton of evidence, though. Anxiety, agitation, insomnia, dizziness, epigastric heaviness (feeling full)


Aricept - An Alzheimer's drug that may also enhance memory in healthy adults. Thought to reduce the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps relay messages around the brain. Nausea, diarrhea, fainting


Methamphetamine - Triggers the release of dopamine. Can increase concentration and creative output. Prolonged use can also make you stupid and crazy. Parkinson's-like symptoms, addiction, stroke, psychosis, prison, death


Modafinil - A narcolepsy medication that improves focus, pattern recognition, and short-term memory. The exact mechanism of action is unclear. Good for card counters. Chest pain, nausea, headache, life-threatening rash


Nicotine - Chemically similar to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Spurs faster interaction between nerve cells in the brain, aiding memory formation and attention. Addiction, cancer, social isolation (depending on delivery mechanism)


Rolipram - Originally used as an antidepressant. May elevate levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate to boost memory. Improves cognition (in rats). Headache, nausea, intense vomiting


Vasopressin - Produced naturally in the hypothalamus1 gland and used in the formation of new memories. Shown to help users learn more effectively (especially men). Prescribed as a drug for diabetes insipidus. Angina, nausea, wheezing, belching, coma