A FIFTH of university professors take the same ‘smart drugs’ as students to keep up with workload, claims academic

Professors are using so-called ‘study drugs’ to boost their cognitive performance
Cambridge academic claims one in 10 students take them to improve memory
The drugs are meant to be for Alzheimer’s, narcolepsy and ADHD treatment
Long-term effects of some substances include heart problems and psychosis

One in five university professors have admitted to using so-called ‘brain booster’ drugs to cope with their heavy workloads, a Cambridge University academic has claimed.

Teachers are increasingly using medication prescribed for Alzheimer’s, narcolepsy and ADHD, with unknown consequences, according to the neuroscientist.

She also said one in 10 students purchase them online and take the drugs to help them cope with exam stress.

Speaking at The Hay Festival, Dr Hannah Critchlow warned these ‘smart drugs’ – also known a nootropics, appear to boost memory, but past research suggests some types may cause heart problems and psychosis.

The drugs are also thought to improve concentration and mental stamina.

Dr Critchlow has warned that professors as well as students use smart drugs

‘SMART DRUGS’ CAN MAKE YOU LESS CLEVER

Nadira Faber, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, warns some types can actually weaken short-term memory.

Writing for The Conversation, she has revealed the true effects of smart drugs.

She argued with methylphenidate, best-known under its brand name Ritalin, people who normally do not perform well benefit more from taking it more than people who are ‘natural’ high performers.

In fact, the drug can even reduce the brain power of high performers, by weakening their short-term memory, for example.

Taking modafinil – prescribed to combat narcolepsy – does improve attention, but might also make you less smart as it can reduce creativity and flexibility in thinking.

Also, similar to Ritalin, modafinil boosts brain power more for people who normally show low performance.

She claims that if you are a poor performer, increasing your low concentration of neurotransmitters with a smart drug can help you.

But if you are a high performer, you are probably close to having an optimal neurotransmitter concentration already.

Increasing it further will not improve your performance – it will make it worse.

She said: ‘One in five academic professors also admit to taking them in order to help them with their grant writing and their committee meeting concentration.

‘(These are) drugs that are usually prescribed for patients who have attention hyperactivity disorder or Alzheimer’s to help with their memory or focus.

‘Students are buying these drugs off the internet so it’s not particularly legal, they are taking these drugs in the hope that it will help with their revision for exams.

‘There’s not a huge amount of data on how these drugs might help them in their revision and exams but they do seem to increase working memory.

‘What exactly the drugs will be doing for a healthy, young brain where there is lots of changes going on in a younger brain – the long term effects of these drugs are not known yet.’

The substances include Ritalin, Adderall, Noopept and Modafinil, The Times reported.

UK institutions have been called on to address the growing problem and consider measures such as drug testing.

Research conducted last summer by The Student Room, an online community forum, found that as many as one in 10 students from all age groups have tried smart drugs.

The results further revealed a quarter of those surveyed say that they plan to use a smart drug at some point.

A separate European study by Staffordshire University found that the majority of university students believe it is normal to use such drugs to enhance academic performance.

It’s not illegal to buy these prescription-only drugs, however, it is against the law to supply or sell them on.

Non-prescription sale of Noopept – a fine white powder said to improve memory – was banned in the UK last year as part of a Government crackdown on legal highs.

The Home Office warned the substance may cause side effects including cardiovascular problems and psychosis.

Yet, it still appears to be available from several British websites.