There is a new developing market for healthy people looking to improve their concentration. Academics including classical musicians, corporate executives, students and even professional poker players have embraced the drugs to improve their concentration by controlling their emotions and clarify their minds.

"There isn't any question about it - they made me a much better player," said Paul Phillips, 35, who credited the attention deficit drug Adderall and the narcolepsy pill Provigil with helping him earn more than $2.3 million as a poker player.

Currently Available Concentration Drugs

ADHD drugs work by increasing the level of the brain chemical dopamine, which is thought to improve concentration. Current Concentration enhancers includes Ritalin, commonly given to children for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and beta blockers like the heart drug Inderal. Researchers have been investigating the drug Aricept, which is normally used to slow the decline of Alzheimer's patients. Provigil is another ADHD drug of which the mechanism of action is not well understood, but boosting the effect of dopamine is thought to be part of it. All these drugs can help people concentrate for hours straight.
A 2005 survey of more than 10,000 college students in the U.S. found 4 percent to 7 percent of them tried ADHD drugs at least once to remain focused on exams or for studying all night. At some colleges, more than one-quarter of students surveyed said they had tried the pills.

Philips, a poker player, started using Adderall after he was diagnosed with ADHD and later got an extra prescription for Provigil to further improve his concentration. The drugs improved his concentration during high-stakes tournaments, he said, allowing him to better track all the action at his table.

"Poker is the sort of game that a lot of people can play well occoasionally, but tournaments are usually won by people who can play close to their best at all times," he said. "It requires significant mental effort to play in top form for 12 hours a day, five days in a row."

One Stanford University study found that low doses of Aricept improved the performance of healthy pilots as they tried to master new skills in a flight stimulator, but the side effects - dizziness and vomiting - were less than desirable in a pilot.

Controlling Nerves to keep concentration

In the world of classical music, beta blockers such as Inderal have become very commonplace. They work by blocking adrenaline receptors in the heart and blood vessels, helping to control arrhythmias and high blood pressure. They also block adrenaline receptors in the brain.

You still have adrenaline flowing in your body, but you don't feel that adrenaline rush so you're not distracted by your own nervousness.

Musisians take them to stave off the jitters that musicians refer to as "rubber fingers."
A survey conducted a decade ago revealed one-quarter of flutists used the pills before some or all of their performances or in high-pressure situations like auditions. She believes use is now more widespread and estimates that three-quarters of musicians she knows use the drugs at least occasionally.

Is it Cheating?

Unlike the anabolic steroids, human growth hormones and blood oxygen boosters, the range of concentration drugs haven't provoked similar negative response. People tend to view mind drugs as merely allowing them to make the most of their minds.

there are no current laws to prevent people from using prescribed drugs to operate at peak mental performance. What patient wouldn't want their surgeon to have complete concentration during an operation or their investment advisor to be concentrating on what's happening in the stock markets.

Side Effects

Ritalin, Adderall and other ADHD drugs can cause headaches, insomnia and loss of appetite. Provigil can make users nervous or anxious and bring on headaches, while beta blockers can cause drowsiness, fatigue and wheezing.

No one has conducted thorough studies about how brain-boosting drugs would affect healthy people after weeks or months of use, said Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment