re: moral question for the OT: is using Adderall cheating

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his isn't true. Caffeine has some nootropic properties, amphetamine does not.

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You are correct. Chemically it is not classified as a nootropic.

And I suppose that most data supports the belief that Adderall operates principally as a motivation-enhancer rather than a full-fledged nootropic. Still, the magnitude of its impact on the body when juxtaposed with something as widely available as caffeine is significant.

It is referred to as a super drug of sorts for a reason.

What Are Nootropics?

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Some Common Cognitive Enhancing Stimulants

Adderall – A mixture of amphetamine salts used to treat ADHD in children and adults. Adderall is frequently used off label and illicitly for cognitive enhancement and recreational purposes. As with all amphetamines it carries a wide range of side effects.

Selegiline – A stimulant drug that inhibits monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in the brain. Monoamine oxidase works to speed up the breakdown of neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline. By selegiline Inhibiting MAO it raises neurotransmitter levels,

Modafinil – A relatively new stimulant that is touted as a wakefulness promoting agent. Modafinil is thought to act through histamine levels in the brain. Modafinil possesses fewer side effects than traditional amphetamine based stimulants.

Caffeine – The world’s favorite drug. caffeine alleviates fatigue by inhibiting adenosine binding in the brain . Caffeine raises levels of key neurotransmitters acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine.

Phenlypiracetam – A modified form of piracetam that is far more stimulating than other racetams. Phenylpiracetam is motivating and energizing.

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Neuroscientist talks about prior Adderall use

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One of the hottest topics in the bioethics world involves the use of cognitive enhancers—also known as “smart drugs”, “brain boosters”, and “nootropics”—to achieve elevated mental and physical performance. Some of the most intense enhancers are prescription pharmaceuticals, like Adderall and Ritalin, which are stimulants that have historically been used to treat attentional disorders such as ADHD.

In addition to increasing concentration, many of these compounds have also been shown to drastically enhance mood, cognition, and creativity in those who are psychologically healthy.

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As a cognitive neuroscientist who often relied on Adderall to complete critical assignments and tasks during my academic and research career, my experience may shed some light on the subject. My first encounter with Adderall was nothing short of a life-changing experience, and I imagine that I am not alone in this.

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Needless to say this wasn’t the last time I took Adderall. Use continued intermittently up until I was a neuroscience doctoral student conducting my own research on cognition, at which time I found a host of peer-reviewed articles that corroborated the details of my experiences. For example, a well-controlled study on the effects of Ritalin found increased accuracy on a variety of working memory tasks, while a meta-analysis—a type of study known for being statistically reliable—showed that Adderall strengthened performance on sustained attention and vigilance tasks. These results came as no surprise to me, as I myself had bore witness to them many times.

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Enhancement stimulants:perceived motivational and cognitive advantages

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Psychostimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are widely used for cognitive enhancement by people without ADHD, although the empirical literature has shown little conclusive evidence for effectiveness in this population.

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In a comparison between the enhancing effects of stimulants on linear composites of motivation and cognition, participants perceived greater enhancement of functions in the motivational category, paired-samples t(39) = 2.19, p = 0.04, two-tailed. In sum, for the sample of functions used in this project, enhancement users of stimulants found that the pills enhanced motivation, and indeed reported that the pills enhanced motivation significantly more than cognitive ability.

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