Modafinil enhances cognition and is deemed safe by health experts

https://qz.com/485020/the-worlds-first-true-smart-drug-enhances-cognition-and-is-deemed-safe-by-health-experts/

by peteratt • 9 years ago

26 6 9 years ago

Link to journal article: http://www.europeanneuropsychopharmacology.com/article/S0924...

"What’s lacking is long-term data—important because study of other promising enhancers has shown that the effect may not last over time."

This article fails to link to answer any of my key questions: What definition of cognition? How does it compare against caffeine in these same tests?

pmoriarty• 9 years ago

I'd hesitate to call anything that has a chance of giving me Stevens–Johnson syndrome "safe".

This reminds me of those commercials for medications that will help you with a runny nose, but have possible side effects of kidney, liver, and respiratory failure, depression, and death.

A big fat "no thanks!" from me.

nkkollaw• 9 years ago

Where did you find references to it causing Stevens–Johnson syndrome?

What are the chances of getting it?

nightcracker• 9 years ago

For an absurdist parody of this, see "Unedited footage of a bear".

moh_maya• 9 years ago

SJS is triggered by paracetamol & Acetaminophen [1] & antibiotics, among other drugs. It appears that one needs a complex set of conditions, which can occur with many drugs (including Modnafil & commonly used pain relievers, etc.).

Note that I am not endorsing (or challenging) the use of the drug to enhance cognition. I just want to understand what evidence there is suggesting a higher rate of incidence with modnafil as compared to sulpha drugs & analgesics.

Literature survey in Pubmed reveals fairly few reports [e.g: 2], describing only a handful of cases.

If the argument is: the risk of SJS is not worth the likely benefits in improved cognition, I understand. But I am not convinced if there is compelling evidence linking modnafil with SJS.

[edit: reorganized paragraphs; deleted unsubstantiated reference to allergies] [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24527413 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4386138/

fasteo• 9 years ago

Slightly off-topic.

The journal article is tagged with "nootropic". Modafinil is not a nootropic, but a smart drug. There is a subtle but important difference between the two. Both types of drugs enhance your cognitive performance, but a nootropic must be neuroprotective. Piracetam, the first nootropic synthesized in 1964 is used nowadays to treat cognitive decline [1]

I am not saying that modafinil will fry your brain, but definitively it is not designed to protect it.

In my personal experience, Modafinil works pretty well in low doses. 25mg-50mg every 2-3 days lifts my mood and increase my work output significantly. The recommended dosage (200mg) is a crash and burn for me.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16007238

Modafinil enhances cognition and is deemed safe by health experts

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