Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Jan;81(1):66-74.
doi: 10.1007/s00115-009-2858-2.

[Options, limits and ethics of pharmacological neuroenhancement]

[Article in German]
C Normann  1 , J Boldt, G Maio, M Berger
Affiliations
Review

[Options, limits and ethics of pharmacological neuroenhancement]

[Article in German]
C Normann et al. Nervenarzt. 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Pharmacological neuroenhancement is an attempt to increase cognitive performance in healthy humans. Learning and memory, attention and vigilance or mood and social interaction are targeted by a modulation of brain plasticity. Firstly, an analysis of the current state of research shows that, until now, clinical trials of neuroenhancing drugs have demonstrated only limited efficacy and long-term side effects remain largely unexplored. Secondly, we argue that, from an ethical perspective, neuroenhancement differs from socially mediated methods of learning. Pharmacological neuroenhancement is based on notions of efficacy and control that threaten to undermine other important aspects of mental capacities.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. J Neurochem. 2008 May;105(4):1067-79 - PubMed
    1. Nature. 1993 Jan 7;361(6407):31-9 - PubMed
    1. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1997 May;131(2):196-206 - PubMed
    1. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1993 Feb;8(2):171-6 - PubMed
    1. JAMA. 2002 Aug 21;288(7):835-40 - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources