Modulation of neurogenesis by nootropic agents

This is a fascinating patent about using nootropics to stimulate, inhibit, and control the growth of new brain cells. However the use of current drugs can only manipulate natural neurogenesis occurring in the lateral ventricles and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation.

What this means is that we could increase our capacity to learn and remember permanently by using nootropic drugs! Since inhibited neurogenesis, usually caused by stress, can often lead to depression this therapy could lead to a whole new branch of antidepressant drugs as well.

Unfortunately it appears that the creation of neurons is caused by the effects of either large and possibly dangerous doses of one nootropic, or small and safe doses of multiple nootropics. You are unlikely to convince your physician to go along with either path, so I guess we are on our own. I am trying to dig up some more on this, hopefully there are some case studies in a medical journal somewhere.

Here is the patent:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070244143.html

Solicitation

Several years ago I took Adderall for approximately six months while studying for some technical certifications. It greatly increased the effectiveness of my studying, and substantially increased my memory retention and even reasoning. In the course of 24 hours I read an entire textbook on a subject I knew very little about, and passed a very thorough written exam. I doubt very much that I could have done this with out the use of serious drugs. Caffeine alone would not have sufficed.

The drug, unfortunately, has several side effects. The most prominent of which is it’s addictive nature and the euphoric high it induces during use. Ultimately these side effects caused me to discontinue my experiments with the drug.

However there have been several breakthroughs in nootropics since my failed experiment, and I very much would like to hear about anyones experiences with “smart drugs”. Currently I am self-employed and without medical insurance, and therefor my access to these drugs is rather limited. Unless of course I chose to break the law, which in this case is not a practice I condone.

If I get enough feedback on this topic I will post the best experiences in a testimonials section. This is a pro-transhuman blog, but should I receive stories of negative experiences with these drugs, I will be sure to post those too.

A Hot New Cup Of Tea

This is not an anti-transhuman argument, but it does outline some of the more serious moral issues surrounding the use of nootropics for cognitive enhancement: A Hot New Cup Of Tea

Ultimately I find this paper to be well written and insightful. However near the end the arguments tend to break down slightly and become rather baseless and unfounded. For example the implication that creativity and emotion are in some way mutually exclusive with cognitive productivity is a baseless fear. The cold and logical genius is a timeless symbol, a man void of emotion and creativity. However this type of person is in reality very rare and is not typical of most people of above average intelligence. Nootropics do not enhance our logical abilities at the expense of emotional and creative existence. Increasing our cognitive functions does not turn us into cold calculating machines, but rather increases our inherent ability to comprehend and communicate with the world. If anything it increases our artistic and creative abilities, and logic is but one medium in which we may express ourselves.

There are several other baseless and nonsensical arguments present in this paper, but in the end it gets the main part right; nootropics are here to stay. It would be in our best interest to find the safest and most effective way of using them, because it goes without saying that we are not the only ones studying these drugs. In order to stay competitive “smart drugs” are looking to be more and more necessary. Some of us might not like this turn of events, but thats just how it is.