Stimulants are being used with increasing frequency by students across college campuses (see ‘Harvard Students: Reaching for drugs to boost brain power). Many of them, however, probably aren’t well aware of the various side effects. In addition to chronic

Can certain smells boost brain power? Let’s first take a look at what else certain odors can do:

• Stores are now using special odors to make customers buy things and spend more money
• The leathery smell of a new car is an artificial odor sprayed on to enhance buyer satisfaction
• Casinos are using odors to make people gamble more

If you’ve ever tried to chew Vivarin instead of swallowing it, you’re well aware of the fact that caffeine- as available in its raw form- has a horrible, bitter taste.

Over the past 4 years, I’ve eaten a lot of dark chocolate, and some of the world’s best bars have made their way through our kitchen. Amedei, Valrhona, Michel Cluizel, El Rey, Domori, Bonnat. The nice thing about chocolate is that it is a very affordable luxury. You can grab yourself the world’s finest bar for less than $20.

One of the greatest misunderstandings people have about the brain is their belief in “free energy”.

Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words…

(Noever, R., J. Cronise, and R. A. Relwani. 1995. Using spider-web patterns to determine toxicity. NASA Tech Briefs 19(4):82. Published in New Scientist magazine, 27 April 1995.)

A new study reveals that both green and black tea have the ability to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This enzyme is important, because it breaks down the acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter in the brain.

Researchers at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute found Gingko Biloba triggers significant improvement in verbal memory in subjects with age-associated memory impairment compared to placebo.

Many earlier studies with Ginkgo Biloba have produced conflicting results. According to

Have been reading lately about a substance derived from the Chinese club moss: Huperzia serrata- Huperzine A.

For many years, this compound has been used in China to treat patients with memory decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

In the 1950s, apparently all kids in England got daily cod liver oil capsules at school.

Not sure when this stopped, but a

Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, Concerta, Metadate, Dexedrine, Focalin, Cylert, Attenade. All are stimulants used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD). They are also all drugs that have been tried or used by 15-30% of college students to get ahead academically.

Now a

A number of case reports have cropped up recently documenting an absolutely shocking discovery:

Zolpidem, a common sleeping pill, can miraculously awaken some patients from a Persistent Vegetative State or “semi-coma”.

Came across a study published in the September 2006 issue of the European Journal of Neurology that compares Ginkgo Biloba to Aricept in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

As pharmaceutical companies come out with newer, more effective brain boosting pills (see an earlier post on ampakines), more and more people will be chiming in on the ethics of brain enhancement.

A recent Harvard University newspaper article suggests that many Harvard students casually rely on prescription

A new study published in the European Child Adolescent Psychiatry seems to indicate that pine bark extract is effective for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The extract is called Pycnogenol, which is derived from the bark of the French maritime pine.

Ampakines are a class of proprietary drugs that are being developed by Cortex Pharmaceuticals and its partners. These compounds are thought to be potentially useful in improving memory and concentration in people who have ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease. Many are hopeful that the drugs will help improve cognition and performance in those that are normal and healthy.

I personally believe there are many different kinds of intelligence, and that the idea of using one IQ number to summarize them all up is completely ridiculous.

For example, there is musical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, mathematical intelligence, social intelligence, athletic intelligence, artistic intelligence, spiritual intelligence, mechanical intelligence, etc…

Just read an article about 2 lawsuits being brought against Pfizer, the makers of Lipitor. Both suits claim Lipitor caused memory loss.

A Pfizer spokesman said the claims are “complete fiction”. (Last year, Pfizer reported sales of $12 billion for Lipitor alone)

Phytoestrogens appear to be a new class of brain food, as they have recently been shown to improve memory and cognition, as well as mood in postmenopausal women. (Fertil Steril 2006;85:972-978)

Many college student rely on caffeine for accelerated learning. However, contrary to what most people think, caffeine does not simultaneously stimulate all regions of your brain.

New brain imaging technology reveals that it preferentially stimulates the Frontal Lobes and the Anterior Cingulum. These areas are important for:

Studies of students at colleges report that a whopping 16% or more had tried Ritalin.  This sort of thing was unheard of back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

With drug company profits in excess of $3 billion per year for ADHD drugs alone, I’m almost inclined to post a link to a picture of what a real drug kingpin looks like…

A new study led by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush found that eating chocolate can improve cognitive performance, mood, and task workload.