Additional Piece: The Impact of Cognitive Enhancers on Performance and Productivity
Introduction:
Cognitive enhancers, commonly known as “smart” drugs, have gained popularity among individuals looking to improve their focus and cognitive abilities. However, recent research conducted by the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne suggests that these drugs may actually hinder performance and productivity, especially in neurotypical individuals without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Exploring the Complex Nature of Cognitive Tasks:
Traditionally, studies on the effects of smart drugs have focused on simpler cognitive tasks targeting memory or attention. However, the Melbourne trial conducted as part of this research employed more computationally complex activities that better simulate the difficult nature of the tasks people face in daily life.
Participants in the study were asked to complete the “backpack optimization problem,” a task that required them to allocate items of different weights and values to a virtual backpack in order to maximize its overall value. The results showed that participants who took cognitive enhancers experienced small decreases in precision and efficiency, along with significant increases in time and effort compared to when they were not taking the drugs.
The Impact of Methylphenidate:
One of the drugs examined in the study was methylphenidate, commonly used to treat ADHD in children but increasingly being taken by college students to enhance performance during exams. Surprisingly, participants taking methylphenidate took, on average, about 50% longer to complete the backpack problem compared to when they received a placebo.
Furthermore, participants who initially performed at a higher level in the placebo condition showed a greater decline in performance and productivity after taking the drug. In terms of “productivity,” those in the top 25% on a placebo consistently ended up in the bottom 25% on methylphenidate. Conversely, participants who initially underperformed in the placebo condition only occasionally showed slight improvement after taking a drug.
Unveiling the Illusion of Cognitive Enhancement:
Professor Peter Bossaerts from the University of Cambridge believes that more research is needed to understand the effects of cognitive enhancers on individuals without ADHD. Despite expecting an increase in motivation due to the dopamine-inducing effects of the drugs, the study found that the exertion caused more erratic thinking, which ultimately did not improve overall performance.
Dr. Elizabeth Bowman, the lead author of the study from the University of Melbourne, highlighted the potential negative impact of cognitive enhancers on healthy users. She pointed out that these drugs may cause individuals to work harder while producing lower-quality work over a prolonged period.
Summary:
The recently published research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne sheds light on the effectiveness of cognitive enhancers in improving performance and productivity. The study, conducted using more complex cognitive tasks, revealed that participants taking cognitive enhancers experienced decreased precision, efficiency, and increased time and effort compared to when they were not on the drugs.
Notably, methylphenidate, a drug commonly used to treat ADHD and also taken by students to enhance exam performance, led to a significant increase in the time taken to complete the tasks. Moreover, participants who initially performed well on a placebo showed a decline in performance and productivity after taking the drug.
The study challenges the belief that cognitive enhancers can make individuals “smarter” or enhance cognitive abilities. Professor Peter Bossaerts highlights the need for further research to understand how these drugs affect individuals without ADHD and their decision-making abilities.
In conclusion, the findings indicate that cognitive enhancers may not provide the expected benefits for neurotypical individuals. Rather than enhancing cognitive performance, these drugs may lead to impaired thinking and lower-quality work. As the use of cognitive enhancers continues to rise, it is crucial to understand their potential drawbacks to make informed decisions about their usage.
Note: The summary has been blended into the additional piece to form a coherent article.
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New research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne, published in Progress of science, shows that neurotypical workers and students taking cognitive enhancers, or “smart” drugs, may actually be inhibiting their performance and productivity.
Medications such as methylphenidate, sold under the brand name Ritalin among others, are commonly prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but are also taken by people without a diagnosis, in the belief that the drugs will improve focus and cognitive performance.
In four double-blind randomized trials in Melbourne, each one week apart, the same 40 healthy participants took one of three popular “smart” drugs (methylphenidate, modafinil, or dextroamphetamine) or a placebo. They were assessed on how they performed on a test designed to model the complex decision-making and problem-solving present in our everyday lives.
While previous studies of the effects of smart drugs have used simpler cognitive tasks targeting memory or attention, the Melbourne trial involved more computationally complex activities that better simulate the difficult nature of the tasks than people face in daily life.
Participants were asked to complete an exercise known as the backpack optimization problem, or “backpack task,” in which they were given a virtual backpack with a given capacity and a selection of items of different weights and values. . Participants had to figure out how to best allocate items to the bag, in order to maximize the overall value of its contents.
Overall, participants taking the drugs saw small decreases in precision and efficiency, along with large increases in time and effort, relative to results when they were not taking the drugs.
For example, when given methylphenidate, which is often used to treat ADHD in children but is increasingly being taken by college students preparing for exams, the participants took on average about 50% longer. in completing the backpack problem than when they received a placebo.
Additionally, participants who performed at a higher level in the placebo condition compared to the rest of the group tended to show a greater decline in performance and productivity after receiving a drug.
In terms of “productivity”—ie, the level of progress per item moved in or out of the backpack—participants in the top 25% on a placebo consistently ended up in the bottom 25% on methylphenidate.
Conversely, participants who underperformed in a placebo condition only very occasionally showed slight improvement after taking a drug.
Professor Peter Bossaerts, the Leverhulme International Professor of Neuroeconomics at the University of Cambridge, believes more research is needed to find out what effects medications have on users without ADHD.
“Our results suggest that these drugs don’t actually make you ‘smarter,'” Bossaerts said. “Due to the dopamine-inducing drugs, we expected to see increased motivation, and they do motivate one to try harder. However, we found that this exertion caused more erratic thinking, in ways we were able to pinpoint because the backpack task had been widely studied in computer science.
“Overall, performance was not increased, so questions remain about how drugs are affecting people’s minds and decision-making.”
Dr Elizabeth Bowman, a researcher at the Center for Brain, Mind and Markets at the University of Melbourne and lead author of the study, said the results show that we have yet to establish the efficacy of pharmaceutical enhancers on our performance, when they are used by neurotypical people to function every day. complex tasks.
“Our research shows that drugs that are expected to improve cognitive performance in patients may actually cause healthy users to work harder while producing lower-quality work over a longer period of time,” Bowman said.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230614220559.htm
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