People with higher IQs are more successful in many areas of life, from white-collar work to blue-collar jobs. But what if there was a way to become even smarter?
Journalist David Adam uses electrical brain stimulation and smart pills to try to improve his IQ. He believes neuroenhancement is going to happen, and he wants science to lead the way safely and fairly.
Modafinil
Buy Modafinil Australia a drug that is typically used to treat sleep disorders like narcolepsy, has recently been shown to enhance cognition in healthy people. This discovery has raised many questions about whether or not this drug is safe for regular use. Many people are using it to boost their performance at work or school. But are they doing so responsibly?
While it may be tempting to take a pill to increase intelligence, it is important to remember that there is still a lot of research needed. It is also important to note that most studies of cognitive enhancement with modafinil have been done in controlled scientific environments and have only looked at the effects of a single dose.
Researchers have found that modafinil increases wakefulness and alertness in sleep-deprived people. It is also known to improve planning and decision-making, as well as flexibility. It also increases combining and responding to new information but does not appear to affect creativity.
Modafinil is known to bind to the dopamine transporter (DAT) and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (NET) in the brain, but its mechanisms of action are not fully understood. In a recent paper, Madras et al showed that modafinil binds to both DAT and NET in the striatal and thalamic regions of rhesus monkeys using PET imaging. Although this is not sufficient evidence to prove that modafinil enhances cognition in non-sleep-deprived individuals, it is an encouraging finding.
Methylphenidate
Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It increases the concentrations of certain chemicals in the brain, including dopamine, and it can also prevent neuronal damage in conditions like Parkinson’s disease and methamphetamine abuse.
In addition, methylphenidate prevents the formation of reactive oxygen species, which can be toxic to the brain. The drug is available in multiple oral formulations and a transdermal patch. The most common forms are immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (XR or ER).
Many people take stimulant prescription-only medications, commonly known as smart drugs, to improve their performance at work or school. These drugs are known to increase cognitive ability in individuals with poor baseline capacities, and they can even make individuals with normal capacities more intelligent (1). However, the evidence for these effects is inconsistent (2). Heterogeneity in study populations, ceiling effects, and a lack of placebo-controlled trials are among the factors that may explain these results.
Methylphenidate can cause serious side effects, including changes in vision or blurred eyesight. These symptoms usually go away on their own, but if they don’t, you should contact your doctor immediately. In addition, you should tell your doctor if you have any medical conditions, such as glaucoma or an overactive thyroid gland, before taking this medication.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a brain chemical that plays an important role in learning about rewards. It is involved in the reward system of both humans and animals and helps us recognize and associate a specific stimulus with a particular outcome. It also mediates our desire for sexual activity and is responsible for our ability to solve problems creatively.
Modafinil (Modawake 200) is a stimulant that promotes wakefulness and has been approved by the FDA to treat sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. It is also widely used off-label as a cognitive enhancer to boost alertness and concentration for purposes such as exam preparation. However, there is no strong evidence that these drugs improve cognitive functioning in healthy people. They may decrease performance by reducing the quality of effort.
One concern is that young people taking modafinil or other smart drugs could end up with lowered short-term memory, a problem that might affect their ability to cope with a variety of stimuli in social situations. Another concern is that these drugs can interfere with brain receptors that consolidate memories and regulate brain flexibility.
If you are concerned that you have a dopamine deficiency, talk to your doctor. Neurotransmitter testing can identify imbalances in these important chemicals and help you find the right treatment for your condition. You can also take steps to increase your dopamine levels naturally, including eating foods high in protein and fiber and avoiding caffeine and sugar. In addition, you can try meditation and breathing exercises to calm your mind and reduce stress.
Serotonin
Serotonin has a long-standing association with mood, but it is also involved in memory and learning. Its release is increased in response to prediction errors, which promotes the development of adaptive behavior during uncertainty. It is also associated with hippocampus-dependent memory. It is released diffusely by serotonin fibers, and the level of this substance is particularly high during the premenstrual period, postpartum period, or during menopause when sex hormones are changing.
Serotonin levels are monitored using microdialysis, a technique that involves inserting a catheter into a brain area and continuously perfusing artificial cerebrospinal fluid through it. This allows unbound molecules to pass through the membrane and into the perfusate, which is then analyzed using HPLC with electrochemical detection. The method has been used to study the role of this neurotransmitter in various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and narcolepsy.
