Use of Methylphenidate Analogues as Cognitive Enhancers

Use of Methylphenidate Analogues as Cognitive Enhancers: The Prelude to Cosmetic Neurology and an Ethical Issue – Drugs involved in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive deficits such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), strokes, schizophrenia, and aging are medically defined as cognitive enhancers. Amphetamines were the first drugs used to stimulate memory consolidation and improve concentration, and were followed by non-amphetaminic central nervous system (CNS) stimulants modafinil and armodafinil, which are largely prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy and ADHD, although their mechanism of action is not entirely understood. Atomoxetine, a selective nor-adrenaline reuptake inhibitor, has been used in children with medication-resistant ADHD or undergoing side effects related to other drugs, while donepezil, a second-generation acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been employed for the treatment of mild-to-moderately-severe symptoms of Alzheimer-related dementia.

Front. Psychiatry, 23 January 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.01006

Simona Zaami¹, Adriano Tagliabracci², Paolo Berretta³, Francesco Paolo Busardò^2* and Enrico Marinelli¹

• ¹Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
• ²Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence-Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Ancona, Italy
• ³National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy