What is brain boosting?
Brain boosting — or, as scientists like to say, cognitive enhancement — means making your brain work better. There are lots of ways to do this without taking drugs: by reading, for example, getting plenty of sleep, or learning something new, such as a new language. There are also ways to do this with drugs such as caffeine or the prescription stimulants Ritalin, Adderall, and Provigil. Other drugs, such as beta-blockers (Inderal, for example) may also improve mental function. There is no such thing as a drug benefit without a drug risk. Caffeine has side effects; so do its sister drugs behind the prescription counter. The FDA has ruled that the benefits of these prescription drugs outweigh their risks for people suffering certain medical problems. For example, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may get help from Ritalin or Adderall. People with daytime sleepiness due to sleep apnea may get help from Provigil. These drugs also have effects on healthy people.
