title: Dealing with requests for pharmacological cognitive enhancement from healthy students.
abstract: The use of drugs to enhance cognitive function and academic performance is clearly a global phenomenon, with the reported prevalence of stimulant use among medical students ranging from 15-20%. A multi-institution study from the USA reported a 6.9% lifetime prevalence of non-prescription use of cognitive enhancers among college students. A comprehensive systematic review indicates a 16-29% use of non-prescribed stimulants among all students for reasons that include increasing concentration and alertness. While mental health professionals and guidance counsellors anecdotally recall requests for pharmacological cognitive enhancement from otherwise healthy students, the exact magnitude of this problem in the Indian context is not clear.
authors.affiliation: Staff Psychiatrist, St Stephens College, Delhi University, Delhi 110 054, India,. susmit1984@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandramouleeswaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis 63110 Missouri, United States,. natashaedwin@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Natasha Catherine
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Edwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, St Stephens Hospital, Delhi 110 054, India.
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rajaleelan
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003071:Cognition; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D013337:Students, Medical; D014851:Wakefulness
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018697:Nootropic Agents