Modafinil has been marketed in the U.S. for narcolepsy, and daytime sleepiness since February 1999. In 2004 it was approved for shift work disorder as well. Wiki tells us some researchers consider the drug a wakefulness-promoting agent instead of simply an amphetamine. It has been approved for some Air Force missions and tests have shown helicopter pilots can maintain proficiency for 40 hours.
Modafinil advises that the pharmacology of the drug is not well understood. It appears to function by stimulating the hypothalamus. Although the most common side effect appears to be a rash, it seems to be safe (as known) and well-tolerated. As such, it is gaining popularity as a lifestyle drug. Young professionals and students are using it as a 'smart' drug.
The Drug Does Work is an essay by a Cambridge student using modafinil to assist her concentration. She explains that it does help her alertness and the ability to tune out distractions. Smart Pills: More Focus or Hocus Pocus? tells that climbing numbers of 18-year-old-and-older demographics are using them to improve concentration. The American Academy of Neurology cautions the drugs do not work the same for everyone, and that the risks of long-term use will not be known for many years.
Cognitive enhancement drug may also cause addiction is sterner. A small study has shown that the slight dopamine release stimulated by the drug alters the brain's reward system. And everyone knows what happens after that.
Mmm. I am definitely not smart enough. Yet life lessons have taught me that There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch (TANSTFL). Run.
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