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“One pill. Anything is possible.” That’s the message used to promote “Limitless,” Robert De Niro’s latest film.
The film, also starring Bradley Cooper, tells the story of a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100% of his brain.
The result is success, fame, and even a much better hairstyle.
Thanks to the drug, the protagonist goes from being disorganized and unmotivated to becoming someone super focused and with great self-confidence.
But is there any truth to this story? Can a simple pill really increase our brain capacity indefinitely?
In a way, yes. Medications similar to the one featured in the film already exist in real life: they help improve memory and concentration, which has earned them the name “smart drugs.” Also, read about the side effects of Brain Pus IQ before continuing.
Modafinil and methylphenidate
In the United Kingdom, for example, one of the most popular “smart drugs” is modafinil, which is used by many students to deal with fatigue during exam season.
Originally designed to treat narcolepsy, the drug became quite popular among different groups thanks to its ability to make people feel more awake and alert.
“Some neurostimulants, such as modafinil, help improve performance in complex planning or problem-solving processes” – Barbara Sahakian, University of Cambridge
Thus, the military uses it to keep soldiers awake during combat operations, and its use has also spread among professionals who work long night shifts, such as doctors, nurses, and pilots.
It is also said to be popular among academics who have to travel between continents with different time zones.
Barbara Sahakian, a researcher and professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, found that 17% of students at several US universities admit to having used the stimulant Ritalin (methylphenidate).
This drug was designed to treat hyperactive children, maximizing their learning capacity.
And a survey conducted by Nature magazine among 1,400 adults found that one in five had used Ritalin, Provigil (modafinil) or beta-blockers, not to treat a medical condition, but to improve their concentration or memory.
“Studies show that some neurostimulants like modafinil help improve performance in complex planning or problem-solving processes, specifically the executive functions that take place in the front part of the brain,” explained Professor Sahakian.
“Modafinil also improves some memory functions, and Ritalin specifically improves working memory.”
Better than coffee?
Although scientists still don’t know how these drugs work to boost cognition, it should come as no surprise that the use of “smart drugs” is on the rise.
Many students consume neurostimulants during exam periods.
After all, they promise something attractive and interesting: the possibility of feeling as alert and becoming as efficient as we can, whenever we need to.
And even if they only increase our memory capacity by 10%, as some suggest, that percentage may well represent the difference between passing or failing an exam, or between a good grade and an even better one.
But do these pills do anything that caffeine doesn’t?
Professor John Harris, who is the director of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Ethics at the University of Manchester, believes that they give those who consume them an advantage.
“They have a similar effect to hard work and coffee. The same effect that physical exercise also produces. They are all, to some extent, cognitive enhancers,” Harris said.
But Harris clarifies that although consuming modafinil can help some people overcome fatigue and do their job better, the drug is not capable of turning anyone into a new Albert Einstein overnight.
“If you weren’t a genius before, you’re not going to be one after (taking it). It doesn’t make you smarter,” said Professor Harris.
Risks
At the same time, it is still unclear how safe these stimulants are.