Topic description and stories

Drug graphic

‘Smart’ drugs can decrease productivity in people who don’t have ADHD, study finds

09 Jun 2023

Smart drugs do motivate people, but the added effort can lead to “erratic thinking”, adversely affecting above-average performers, according to...

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Brains

Opinion: The science, drugs and tech pushing our brains to new limits

06 Oct 2016

Rapid advances in neuroscience are driving a huge shift in our understanding of how the brain works and could improve both our cognitive abilities...

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Opinion: Fair play? How ‘smart drugs’ are making workplaces more competitive

06 Jul 2016

Barbara Sahakian (Department of Psychiatry) discusses 'smart drugs' and other ways to boost our cognitive abilities.

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Modafinil

Record seizure of smart drugs including one untested in humans shows growing market

03 Nov 2014

Last month, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced the UK’s biggest ever single seizure of smart drugs, also known as...

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Increasing numbers of students take smart drugs to get through exams.

Smart drugs - smart decisions?

23 May 2013

What are the ethical implications for society of allowing healthy people to take ‘smart drugs’ to enhance their performance? Barbara Sahakian will...

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Pills

The ethics of smart drugs

31 Oct 2011

Professor Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, has been researching cognitive enhancers for over a...

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