Cognitive Enhancement: Treating or Cheating?
Section snippets
Which are These Types of Enhancers and Who is Using Them?
Over the past few years, research directed toward treating or preventing cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative disorders has increased exponentially. Some of the medications developed to treat Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease, for example, have had the unanticipated side effect of enhancing cognition in those without impairment.1 Drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, including Adderall and Ritalin, are also reported to enhance working memory, problem solving,
Assessing Therapy vs Enhancement
Even if nootropics are in their relative infancy it is clear that effective enhancers are on the horizon and we ought to consider the particular questions they raise sooner rather than later. The first question is whether such drugs ought to be regarded as treatment of disease, and therefore should be covered by insurance, or as enhancement and considered in the same realm as vitamins and dietary supplements? This dichotomy would accept nootropics as therapy for those who have a medical
Safety Concerns
Safety concerns are often cited as the reason to summarily reject the use of nootropics and associated interventions. Ritalin and Adderall can cause negative side effects, including addiction, heart problems, nausea, anorexia, anxiety, and insomnia. They have been linked to cerebrovascular disease and potential triggers for underlying mental illness.22 This perspective suggests that the delicate human brain may not tolerate fluctuations in neurochemistry by powerful pharmaceutical agents.
Is It Cheating?
Perhaps the most morally problematic argument against the use of nootropics is that it constitutes a form of cheating. For some, the idea of taking a pill to concentrate, to stay awake longer to study for an examination, or to meet a deadline is regarded as inauthentic and diminishes the hard work of those who put in the effort naturally. Some have worried that it deforms our character and devalues the spirit of perseverance and self-discipline.17 Accordingly, if achievements come too easily
Equal Access
The final issue under consideration is whether the use of nootropics would worsen social inequality. Buchanan argues that this would depend primarily on the kinds of interventions that are considered in the category of enhancement.29 Implantable brain chips or embryonic screening, for example, would likely remain expensive and available to a small few. Addressing the issue of genetic improvement and unequal access, Princeton biologist Lee Silver has suggested the possibility that this could
Looking Toward the Future
Along the spectrum of cognitive enhancers are pharmaceuticals designed specifically to diminish functions, including memory, attachment, and even sexual function. Some philosophers have endorsed diminishment as enhancement under a Welfarist claim that the definition of enhancement should be broad enough in scope to include biological or psychological changes that promote a person’s welfare under a particular set of circumstances.31
Accordingly, Earp et al argue that some drugs that reduce
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Cited by (12)
Pediatric Neuroethics: Current Controversies with Timeless Reasoning
2023, Seminars in Pediatric NeurologyNeural effects of methylphenidate and nicotine during smooth pursuit eye movements
2016, NeuroImageCitation Excerpt :So far, however, there are no direct comparisons of nicotine and methylphenidate that explore shared and distinct characteristics of their enhancing effects in healthy subjects. The recent ethical debate on pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement (Fond et al., 2015; Maier et al., 2015; Whetstine, 2015) and the high variability in treatment effectiveness of dopamine targeting compounds in patients (Cools, 2006; Jasinska et al., 2014; Kelton et al., 2000; Kieling et al., 2010; Martinez et al., 2011) demand a clearer picture of the substances' effects on neuronal processes and cognition. To better understand the common and distinct mechanisms of action, the current study assessed the effects of single doses of nicotine and methylphenidate on smooth pursuit eye movements, a perceptual-motor task previously shown to be influenced by these two compounds.
Introduction
2015, Seminars in Pediatric NeurologyExploring Irish students’ attitudes towards nootropic supplements
2023, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy