Cognition enhancement isn’t new. Every morning billions of people start their day with tea or coffee to promote alertness and performance. What is new is the growing movement towards more refined chemicals known as “nootropics” to improve memory, attention, learning and spatial ability, as well as the promotion of “neuro-protection” to help the brain recover from the slow death by ageing, drinking and other abuses.

This all started in 1964 when Dr Corneliu_E._Giurgea sythensised “Piracetam” which has been scheduled as a restricted substance since Australia in 2007 but is legal and unrestricted in any other country. Dr Giurgea’s coined the term nootropic and listed 5 things a nootropic should do : (via wikipedia)

1. They should enhance learning and memory.
2. They should enhance the resistance of learned behaviors/memories to conditions which tend to disrupt them (e.g. electroconvulsive shock, hypoxia).
3. They should protect the brain against various physical or chemical injuries (e.g. barbiturates, scopalamine).
4. They should increase the efficacy of the tonic cortical/subcortical control mechanisms.
5. 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.

In the last few decades nootropics have grown in popularity. Piracetam has been used to reverse the effects of aging in the brain, improve cognition in alcoholics, dementia, Alzheimer’s and a range of other degenerative conditions. It’s no wonder the academic community has taken notice, and students are now using Piracetam for study and improved exam performance. The growing amount of scientific literature appear to support the reasoning behind the students thinking here. Despite Piracetam being restricted in Australia, a number of “racetam” analogs and variations are sold unrestricted including – Aniracetam, Pramiracetam & Oxiracetam.

Personal brain chemistry is a difficult topic to generalise. Everyone has varying moods and chemistry that affects their flow of serotonin, dopamine and a host of other regulating neurotransmitters. A range of C & B vitamins, Magnesium, Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and racetams may indeed be a good combination of supplements that promotes neuroprotection and neural growth. Like a “steroid” for the brain, such a dietary regimen would only be effective with long term use and mental “exercise”. Simply popping some Aniracetam before an exam would probably be the same as having a cup of coffee. Much like injecting steroids before benchpressing 50 kilos is not going to have any immediate effect.

Unfortunately with any extraordinary claims as many nootropics make, the market has been flooded by spammy, sales heavy advertising and promises that come across like a secondhand car sales deal. My advice would be to to the research and check wikipedia regarding any active chemicals you consider ingesting. A good combination of vitamins and a legal racetam that you can buy in bulk would be the cheapest and easiest way to try.

There is another level of “nootropic” use that borders on abuse and can be dangerous. Modafil and other harder prescription drugs are sometimes promoted by the nootropic community. Their use, abuse and safety can’t be condoned here.

Of course, when the government seeks to restrict a chemical like Piracetam, you know it’s probably more effective than echinacea and homeopathic remedies.