Nootropics: Will 'smart drugs' improve your work and school performance?

Popping a pill to make your brain sharper – smart move or too good to be true?

It was the late 1990s when Moodi Dennaoui was studying at the University of Sydney and began looking for a supplement that would improve his university and physical performance.

It was then that he discovered nootropics – aka "smart drugs", chemicals that promise to improve your mental and physical performance.

"I could only afford to purchase one or two supplements at a time so I had to ensure it was an economically viable choice," said Dennaoui, a nutrition expert who is now known as the "Diet Doctor".

"I stumbled across nootropics … a supplement that could help me both physically and cognitively. [I thought] sign me up!"

Dennaoui now takes tyrosine and acetyl l-carnitine as part of his pre-workout.

"They work very quickly and you’ll know about it," he says.

"There’s nothing like going to the gym and having focused energy as opposed to scattered energy. And let’s be honest, who has time to crash post-workout when there’s work to be done and deadlines to be met."

The word nootropics comes from the Greek word "noos" for mind and "tropos" for growth and can be used to describe all manner of substances that enhance cognitive performance – they range from supplements, like those Dennaoui takes, to prescription drugs used for sleep conditions and ADHD.

They've got a big following in Silicone Valley and university students are increasingly turning to them for an edge in exams. Even senior public servants have reportedly used them to get the federal budget done in time.

From medication to performance enhancer

These days, taking nootropics is hardly an underground movement.

One of the most popular pharmaceutical nootropic is called Modafinil, also known as Modavigil and Provigil, which is known as a "eugeroic", or wakefulness-promoting agent.

It was originally developed as a drug for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders and is said to affect the brain similarly to how amphetamines and cocaine do – causing a spike in dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's pleasure centre.

Users report incredible focus and productivity and unlike a stimulant like caffeine, which gives you a quick high and can be addictive, Modafinil users claim it doesn't follow with a crash or withdrawal.

"It seems that Modafinil is a cognitive enhancer … there were improvements in higher cognitive functions like planning and decision making," Dr Anna-Katharine Brem, from the University of Oxford, told BBC.

Other nootropics include Ritalin, which is traditionally prescribed to sufferers of ADHD, Adderall and ampakines, used to treat Alzheimer's.

According to Slate.com, up to one in three university students in the US have used ADHD medications illicitly – often faking symptoms to get a prescription or ordering drugs online.

Plenty of potential risks

Popping a pill for razor sharp focus sounds great in theory but Simon Cotton, senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of Birmingham, warns of misinterpreting studies.

For example, a 2013 study found that Modafinil can be used as a performance enhancer to improve alertness and motivation but Dr Cotton points out in a The Conversation article that the study was into shift workers and narcolepsy sufferers, who suffer insomnia and excessive sleepiness, so isn't necessarily relevant to the broader population.

Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency conducted an investigation into Modafinil and concluded that it may be risky for the heart, lead to adverse skin reactions and put users at risk of a neuropsychiatric reaction.

"The long-term effects of taking these mind altering drugs in this non-prescribed way are still relatively unknown," Dr Cotton writes.

"For people who buy these drugs online, there are also extra risks, because using an unknown supplier is very unsafe."

Neal Patel, spokesperson for the UK's Royal Pharmaceutical Society, points out that online providers can be unscrupulous.

"You may or may not get what you pay for," he told The Guardian.

“Our advice remains for people to steer clear of prescription medicines unless they are being prescribed under the supervision of a health professional.”

It also seems that nootropics don't affect all people equally – and some people find taking them actually impairs their performance.

"The subjects that seem to benefit the most from these drugs are those with relatively poor working memory and attention at baseline," Dr Zahid Padamesy, from the University of Oxford's Department of Psychology, told Cherwell.

"In contrast, for subjects with already excellent working memory and attention skills, these drugs seem to impair task performance. While Modafinil has no particularly harmful short-term effects, we’re not entirely sure what the long-term repercussions are.

"And in addition to that, stronger smart drugs like Ritalin and Adderall are essentially low-grade amphetamines. For those persons who do not have ADHD and conditions that warrant the use of Ritalin, it can be quite damaging."

When it comes to vitamin or supplement nootropics, Dennaoui believes they are safe and recommends them to many of his clients.

"They have been researched for many years and are safe in moderation, like most pick-me-ups including caffeine," he says.

"Test these substances in moderation, which usually means half the recommended dose for a few days and listen to your body and keep a journal of how you feel."

But on that note, Dr Cotton says people looking for extra alertness would probably be safest sticking with good old-fashioned coffee.