Full-text resources of CEJSH and other databases are now available in the new Library of Science.
Visit https://bibliotekanauki.pl

PL EN


2018 | 32 | 31-45

Article title

Ethical Underpinning and Implications of “Nootropic” Concept

Authors

Content

Title variants

Languages of publication

EN

Abstracts

EN
The current generation paving the path for new research marks a milestone to attain the ancient goal of improving our cognition. To date, increased prevalence of cognitive enhancers by healthy people has raised the scientific community’s attention as well as media coverage. In particular, nootropics such as piracetam promise to offer modest improvements in cognitive performance. The long-lasting impetus of this “holistic enhancer” convinced scientists as well as ethicists to discuss its potential ethical implications and future directions. Moreover, there are discrepancies in the concept of a true nootropic between pharmacology and contemporary public culture. Here, I review the ethical aspects of nootropics raised by its potential use in cognition enhancement and substantiate the epistemological commentary on the concept of nootropic.

Contributors

author
  • Ulm University, Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine

References

  • Arnsten, Amy F. T., and Anne G. Dudley. “Methylphenidate Improves Prefrontal Cortical Cognitive Function Through Α2 Adrenoceptor and Dopamine D1 Receptor Actions: Relevance to Therapeutic Effects in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Behavioral and Brain Functions 1, no. 1 (2005): 2. doi:10.1186/1744-9081-1-2.
  • Babcock, Quinton, and Tom Byrne. “Student Perceptions of Methylphenidate Abuse at a Public Liberal Arts College.” Journal of American College Health 49, no. 3 (2000): 143–145. doi:10.1080/07448480009596296.
  • Beauchamp, Tom L., and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 6th ed. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
  • Bostrom, Nick, and Anders Sandberg. “Cognitive Enhancement: Methods, Ethics, Regulatory Challenges.” Science and Engineering Ethics 15, no. 3 (2009): 311–341. doi:10.1007/s11948-009-9142-5.
  • Butcher, James. “Cognitive Enhancement Raises Ethical Concerns.” The Lancet 362, no. 9378 (2003): 132–133. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13897-4.
  • Cakic, Vince. “Smart Drugs for Cognitive Enhancement: Ethical and Pragmatic Considerations in the Era of Cosmetic Neurology.” Journal of Medical Ethics 35, no. 10 (2009): 611–615. doi:10.1136/jme.2009.030882.
  • Chatterjee, Anjan. “Cosmetic Neurology: The Controversy over Enhancing Movement, Mentation, and Mood.” Neurology 63, no. 6 (2004): 968–974. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000138438.88589.7c.
  • Chatterjee, Anjan. “The Promise and Predicament of Cosmetic Neurology.” Journal of Medical Ethics 32, no. 2 (2006): 110–113. doi:10.1136/jme.2005.013599.
  • Chatterjee, Anjan. “Is It Acceptable for People to Take Methylphenidate to Enhance Performance? No.” BMJ 338, no. 182 (2009): b1956. doi:10.1136/bmj.b1956.
  • De Smedt, Tim, Robrecht Raedt, Kristl Vonck, and Paul Boon. “Levetiracetam: Part II, The Clinical Profile of a Novel Anticonvulsant Drug.” CNS Drug Reviews 13, no. 1 (2007): 57–78. doi:10.1111/j.1527-3458.2007.00005.x.
  • Decety, Jean, and Julian Paul Keenan. “Social Neuroscience: A New Journal.” Social Neuroscience 1, no. 1 (2006): 1–4. doi:10.1080/17470910600683549.
  • Dimond, Stuart J., and E. Y. M. Brouwers. “Increase in the Power of Human Memory in Normal Man Through the Use of Drugs.” Psychopharmacology 49, no. 3 (1976): 307–309. doi:10.1007/bf00426834.
  • “Distributive Justice”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Fall 2008 Edition. Stanford.Library.Sydney.Edu.Au, 1996. https://stanford.library.sydney.edu.au/archives/fall2008/entries/justice-distributive/
  • Farah, Martha J. “Emerging Ethical Issues in Neuroscience.” Nature Neuroscience 5, no. 11 (2002): 1123–1129. doi:10.1038/nn1102-1123.
  • Farah, Martha J., Judy Illes, Robert Cook-Deegan, Howard Gardner, Eric Kandel, Patricia King, Eric Parens, Barbara Sahakian, and Paul Root Wolpe. “Neurocognitive Enhancement: What Can We Do and What Should We Do?” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 5, no. 5 (2004): 421–425. doi:10.1038/nrn1390.
  • French, Jacqueline A., Chiara Costantini, A. Brodsky, and Phillipp von Rosenstiel. “Adjunctive Brivaracetam for Refractory Partial-Onset Seizures: a Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Neurology 75, no. 6 (2010): 519–525. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181ec7f7f.
  • Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution. 1st ed. Reprint, New York: Picador, 2003.
  • Giurgea, Corneliu, and Maurice Salama. “Nootropic Drugs.” Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology 1, no. 3–4 (1977): 235–247. doi:10.1016/0364-7722(77)90046-7.
  • Greely, Henry, Barbara Sahakian, John Harris, Ronald C. Kessler, Michael Gazzaniga, Philip Campbell, and Martha J. Farah. “Towards Responsible Use of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs by the Healthy.” Nature 456, no. 7223 (2008): 702–705. doi:10.1038/456702a.
  • Greene, Joshua D. “An Fmri Investigation of Emotional Engagement in Moral Judgment.” Science 293, no. 5537 (2001): 2105–2108. doi:10.1126/science.1062872.
  • Greene, Joshua D. “Dual-Process Morality and the Personal/Impersonal Distinction: A Reply to Mcguire, Langdon, Coltheart, And Mackenzie.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 45, no. 3 (2009): 581–584. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2009.01.003.
  • Gouliaev, Alex Haahr, and Alexander Senning. “Piracetam and Other Structurally Related Nootropics.” Brain Research Reviews 19, no. 2 (1994): 180–222. doi:10.1016/0165-0173(94)90011-6.
  • Harris, John. “Is It Acceptable for People to Take Methylphenidate to Enhance Performance? Yes.” BMJ 338, no. 182 (2009): b1955. doi:10.1136/bmj.b1955.
  • ImmInst Forums Reply. Subject: “New Energy Drink Contains Piracetam – Brain Health,” Longecity, 2008. http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/22668-new-energy-drink-containspiracetam/
  • Kayser, Bengt, Alexandre Mauron, and Andy Miah. “Current Anti-Doping Policy: A Critical Appraisal.” BMC Medical Ethics 8, no. 1 (2007). doi:10.1186/1472-6939-8-2.
  • Le Strange, Richard. A History of Herbal Plants. Reprint, London: Angus & Robertson Publ., 1977.
  • Margineanu, Doru Georg. “A Weird Concept with Unusual Fate: Nootropic Drug,” Revue des Questions Scientifiques. Vol. 182 (1) (2011): 33– 52.
  • McCabe, Sean Esteban, John R. Knight, Christian J. Teter, and Henry Wechsler. “Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Stimulants Among US College Students: Prevalence and Correlates From a National Survey.” Addiction 100, no. 1 (2005): 96–106. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.00944.x
  • Pinker, Steven. The Blank Slate. New York: Viking, 2002.
  • Racine, Eric, and Cynthia Forlini. “Cognitive Enhancement, Lifestyle Choice or Misuse of Prescription Drugs?”. Neuroethics 3, no. 1 (2008): 1–4. doi:10.1007/s12152-008-9023-7.
  • Stirling, Andrew. “The Politics of GM Food: Risk, Science and Public Trust,” 1999. http://users.sussex.ac.uk/~prfh0/adams_et_al_briefing_on_uncertainty.pdf
  • Swierstra, Tsjalling, and Arie Rip. “Nano-Ethics as NEST-Ethics: Patterns of Moral Argumentation about New and Emerging Science and Technology.” Nanoethics 1, no. 1 (2007): 3–20. doi:10.1007/s11569-007-0005-8
  • Synofzik, Matthis. “Ethically Justified, Clinically Applicable Criteria for Physician Decision-Making In Psychopharmacological Enhancement.” Neuroethics 2, no. 2 (2009): 89–102. doi:10.1007/s12152-008-9029-1
  • Turner, Danielle C., Trevor W. Robbins, Luke Clark, Adam R. Aron, Jonathan Dowson, and Barbara J. Sahakian. “Cognitive Enhancing Effects of Modafinil in Healthy Volunteers.” Psychopharmacology 165, no. 3 (2003): 260–269. doi:10.1007/s00213-002-1250-8.
  • Ursin, Lars Øystein. “Personal Autonomy and Informed Consent.” Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 12, no. 1 (2008): 17–24. doi:10.1007/s11019-008-9144-0.
  • Wei, Feng, Guo-Du Wang, Geoffrey A. Kerchner, Susan J. Kim, Hai-Ming Xu, Zhou-Feng Chen, and Min Zhuo. “Genetic Enhancement of Inflammatory Pain by Forebrain NR2B Overexpression.” Nature Neuroscience 4, no. 2 (2001): 164–169. doi:10.1038/83993.
  • Winblad, Bengt. “Piracetam: A Review of Pharmacological Properties and Clinical Uses.” CNS Drug Reviews 11, no. 2 (2006): 169–182. doi:10.1111/j.1527-3458.2005.tb00268.x
  • Wolpe, Paul Root. “Treatment, Enhancement, and the Ethics Of Neurotherapeutics.” Brain and Cognition 50, no. 3 (2002): 387–395. doi:10.1016/s0278-2626(02)00534-1

Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.ojs-doi-10_18778_0208-6107_32_03
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.