Enhancement Flashcards
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses (the gaps between neurons) in the nervous system
when neurons communicate w/ one another (squirt chemicals)
Reuptake
the process by which a neuron reabsorbs a neurotransmitter after it has been released to transmit a nerve impulse
what are 3 ways drugs can alter neural activity?
can enable body to create more neurotransmitters
–> Parkinson’s disease: give the brain the dopamine precursor (L-DOPA; “levodopa”)
Can enable body to slow down reuptake
–> Depression: inhibit presynaptic neurons from reabsorbing serotonin (Serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor SSRI; eg. “Prozac”)
Enable body to release more neurotransmitters
–> ADHD: make synapses release more dopamine & norepinephrine (Adderall)
–> Use of stimulants (ie. coffee, cocaine, adderall)
What is the number of adults who use prescription stimulants for non-medical use?
~15 million prescriptions nationwide
cognitive enhancement
People use unprescribed drugs to try to improve their mind/cognitive abilities
Medical use definition for Adderall?
prescribed by a healthcare professional for clinical symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity
Nonmedical use definition for adderall?
used (or abused), often illegally by people to whom the medication is not prescribed (eg. addiction, recreation, or (perceived) enhancement)
why are some people on drugs told not to drink citric juice?
makes body process the drug faster if you drink grapefruit juice → makes it seem like you’re taking a higher dose than you actually are
what are 2 assumptions that prescription stimulant users make?
Most enhancement users BELIEVE…
1. They are worse at studying, paying attention, focusing, than their peers
2. That stimulants such as Adderall will improve their focus and attention even when such drugs have not been prescribed to them
Sustained attention
the ability to stay focused on a specific task for an extended continuous period of time
What is the Go / No-Go Task and what can it be used for?
Go / No-Go Task: tell them a cue to respond to (ie. clap when you see green, don’t clap when you see any other color)
–> a very boring task that you need to be vigilant at
can be used to study sustained attention: once you have a measure of sustained attention, you can compare it to when you drink coffee or take enhancement drugs for example
meta-analysis definition?
a study of studies
Does AMP enhance…
Go/No Go task?
Stroop (color vs text) text?
Word recall?
Intelligence tests (ie. SAT)?
Long-term memory?
“Feelings” of productivity?
Go/No Go task? NO
Stroop (color vs text) text? NO
Word recall? NO
Intelligence tests (ie. SAT)? NO
Long-term memory? MAYBE
“Feelings” of productivity? YES (even when it doesn’t enhance actual productivity)
what is the analogy to prescription stimulants?
prescription stimulants are like a pair of glasses (only useful for the person that it is being PRESCRIBED to)
Someone who can’t see needs glasses, but people with 20/20 vision don’t need glasses and could almost worsen their eyesight
What DOES Adderall change?
Adderall changes how much you think your cognition has been enhanced
AMP enhances feelings of productivity
What are 4 costs of enhancement with nonmedical use of prescription stimulants?
Dangerous
Illegal
Economical
Doesn’t enhance cognition
You probably don’t need it in the first place
It probably doesn’t ACTUALLY enhance cognition (even if it makes you FEEL like you are enhanced)
It may even impair you
Remote Associates Test: do Adderall users become less creative and how did researchers test this?
Remotes Associates Test:
Given three words and need to think of one word can go before or after all three words that still makes sense
- Ie. manners, table, tennis → table
Results:
If you need adderall, your creativity is not hindered by adderall
If you don’t need adderall, your creativity actually decreases slightly
Coffee and Go/ No Go task results?
Go/No go task: people who take coffee/caffeine makes less mistakes (it only helps to some point thought–around 80 to 150 mg of caffeine)
- too much and it is slightly worse than the sweet spot for coffee enhancement
It is a cognitive enhancer to some extent
coffee and enhancement effects?
Legal
Not particularly dangerous
Might be even healthy
What is the sweet spot for coffee enhancement?
one cup of coffee (100mg)
sleep and enhancement?
Legal
safe
Can’t overdose
Healthy in every way
Free, not addictive
Sleep with Go/No Go Task Results?
Restricts how much people sleep for two weeks (4, 6, 8 hours a night for 2 weeks) and then does Go/no go task
Results: people w/ most sleep had the shortest + least amount of lapses
lapses
how LONG and how OFTEN someone “doses” off for a bit
the cumulative cost of additional wakefulness study results?
comparing chronic sleep restriction (ie. 4 hours a night for a certain amount of time) vs total sleep deprivation (pulling an all nighter for X nights)
Results:
4 hours of sleep for 7 days = 0 hours of sleep for 1 night
6 hours of sleep for 10 days = 0 hours of sleep for 1 night
Significance: “claims that humans adapt to chronic sleep restriction within a few days…are NOT supported by the present findings”
