Brain Enhancement in the 21st Century

Drugs that enhance your brain and make it more efficient seem like a thing of fiction, a possibility only in the distant future. However, today several drugs like this are circulating in different medical circles.

Often these drugs are created to solve one type of neural issue, like slowing the progression of Alzheimer's or treating ADHD in children. But extended research has found that they can greatly improve the brain function of anyone who takes it.

These benefits include:

"– reducing sleep deprivation;

– needing less sleep; 

– more REM or rapid eye movement sleep which can enhance memory;  

– general and specific memory enhancement; 

– learning augmentation; 

– brain cell protection; and 

– possessing low toxicity"

(Lindgren 487).

But the author also notes there could be great ramifications to exploring these drugs. The legal issues surrounding the testing alone could be insurmountable. However, the author more significantly emphasizes the danger there is in who is funding the research. He suggests it is likely that until the drugs are cheap and abundant enough for mass circulation, there is a good chance the wealthy contributors will be able to hold the market as an exclusive product for their own circles.

Regardless, he ends off in reminding us that this will eventually become available to everyone, and as such is an extremely worthwhile investment of time and money for not just the general public, but in particular for those in great need.



Source:




Lindgren, Carl Edwin. “Brain Enhancement in the 21st Century: Potential Neurophysiological Changes in Brain Structure Through Neuroenhancers, Nootropic Agents and Organic/Electronic Components.” International Conference: Transition to a New Society, Mar. 2014, pp. 485–493.