Buehler mentioned that some cogs, such as Adderall, extremely popular in medical school and even in banking houses, work in kids "properly diagnosed with ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]," but there aren't in-depth studies showing their effect on healthy, normal individuals.

It could even have negative effects on thinking, Buehler cautioned.


"That person could be impaired in their ability to think creatively," he said. "It might enhance one domain of cognition, at the expense of other domains of thinking."

The problem, ultimately, in understanding the true effects of the drugs on our brains is, well, they work on our brains. "It will take us many decades to understand, as it's tightly coupled to our understanding of the brain, which is the most complex machine in the universe," Buehler said. "That's why we think it's irresponsible to use these until we understand the science first."

Not everyone is so cautious, of course.

"So if you satisfy DSM-IV-TR criteria for ADHD, and gain a cognitive boost from Adderall, that does work," a poster, apparently a medical student, on the studentdoctor.net forums, asks, referring to the guidelines psychologists use to assign disorders. "But if you don't satisfy criteria, and gain a cognitive boost from Adderall, that doesn't work?"

"Sea-change in nootropic use"

Regardless of where the science stands, society appears to be moving forward with cogs. Buehler said many researchers predict we will see "a sea-change in nootropic use in the next year or two."

As the drugs develop and their efficiency improves, there could be increased demand among normal populations, Buehler speculates, one many politicians will have a hard time resisting.

"Many will avail themselves of these drugs, and there could be a public health cost," Buehler said. "You could envision an increasing black market for these drugs. It's something we're very worried about."

One of the many unintended consequences of mind-bettering drugs could be, of all things, widening the growing rift between the haves and have-nots.

"Setting aside for a minute whether these drugs help students, which is a controversy," Buehler said, "if there was one day a drug to help you do better, perform better in a test without adverse effects, you'd imagine there would be a cost associated with getting that product."

And the cost would not fall evenly across all socioeconomic strata.

"The playing field would not be level," Buehler said.

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