A stimulant that improves mental ability without the common side effects could revolutionise our understanding of forming and retaining memories, say researchers from the University of Cambridge.
The drug Modafinil has been found to improve certain mental abilities, or cognitive functioning, without the side effects commonly experienced with mental stimulants, such as amphetamines or caffeine.
Danielle Turner, from Cambridge's department of psychiatry, took a group of 60 healthy young males and tested their ability to use touch-sensitive computer screens and easy-to-understand "computer games" after they had received either a placebo or a Modafinil tablet.
"In the study, the volunteers given modafinil performed significantly better at neuropsychological tests involving short-term memory, and showed less impulsive responding and an increased tendency to reflect on the tasks they were given," she said.
"The research suggests that it may at last be possible to help patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), who suffer from selective impairments in memory, problem-solving and planning."
Drugs such as amphetamine and methylphenidate have been used previously to help improve some aspects of people's performance - for example, in cases of severe sleep deprivation among military personnel - but they have often been found cause impairments in other functions. They are also associated with serious side effects, such as addiction.
Modafinil, in contrast, has been shown to have few side effects and no evidence of addiction.
"It is currently being used clinically to treat patients with sleeping disorders like narcolepsy by altering the release of chemical agents called neurotransmitters in the brain. In fact, modafinil could revolutionise our current understanding of the way we form and retain memories because of its unique neurochemical mechanism of action in the brain," said Ms Turner.
"Previous work on modafinil was mainly confined to its effects on sleeping disorders. No study, however, had examined the effect of Modafinil on a wide range of cognitive functions, using comprehensive and well-validated neuropsychological tests.
"The next important step is to confirm these positive effects on mental functioning in patients. Our future study will test whether young adults suffering from ADHD show similar improvements to our healthy volunteers.
"Using state-of-the-art brain-imaging equipment we will also be able to take dynamic scans of our patients' brains while they are performing the computerised games. This will offer tremendous insight into how the mind works. Visualising Modafinil acting in the brain could help us find out exactly which brain cells (or neurones) and neurochemicals are involved in our memory and problem solving processes."
The wide use of stimulants such as Pro Plus among students to help them meet exam and essay deadlines has caused concern among parents. Last summer, a Cardiff student overdosed on four packets of Pro Plus after carefully calculating how much it would take to end his life.
