A brief guide to cognitive enhancing substances (Nootropics).

Nootropics are a general ‘blanket’ term to describe any compound capable of improving several different aspects of cognitive function, such as memory, focus or creativity, without causing many adverse side effects. This term was coined in 1972 by a Romanian chemist, Corneliu E. Giurgea . He was the pioneer of nootropics research in his time and created a very strict set of guidelines to define what the characteristics of nootropics really were: They should enhance the resistance of learned behaviors/memories to conditions which tend to disrupt them (e.g. electroconvulsive shock , hypoxia ). They should protect the brain against various physical or chemical injuries (e.g. barbiturates , scopalamine ). They should increase the efficacy of the tonic cortical/subcortical control mechanisms. They should lack the usual pharmacology of other psychotropic drugs (e.g. sedation , motor stimulation) and possess very few side effects and extremely low toxicity . This original definition rules out many of the compounds we see in rampant use today to improve cognitive performance. For the purposes of this blog, we will cover all potential compounds that are commonly used today to improve cognitive performance, even if they don’t fit the strict definition as set out by Corneliu many years ago. Therefore, the modern category of nootropics or cognitive enhancing substances can be broken down to include natural supplements/compounds (those synthesised by the body, found in foods or those found in nature e.g. herbal/mushroom types), pharmaceutical drugs (smart drugs) and synthetic nootropics. In this article, we will go over these different types of Nootropics and cognitive enhancing substances, what they can be used for, and whether or not they can be beneficial for you depending on your goals and what you’re trying to achieve. In general, we can see that our society is being directed towards a more […]

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