Assignent Solutionnurs

In the search for a cognitive advantage, many healthy people, young and old, are turning to drugs that may provide cognitive benefits. Many of us routinely use caffeine, which improves vigilance, working memory, and incidental learning. Others use nicotine, which, although clearly detrimental to health when smoked, may enhance episodic memory, working memory, and attention in the short term (Husain & Mehta, 2011; Lanni et al., 2008).
A more recent trend, however, involves the use of prescription stimulants. These include methylphenidate (Ritalin), which is used in the treatment of attention-deficit disorder, and modafinil (Provigil), which is used as a wake-promoting agent for people with excessive daytime sleepiness. These compounds (which are not always legally prescribed) are now being used by students seeking better grades as well as by military personnel who need to remain awake during long missions. According to some studies, around 16 percent of college students acknowledge that they have used methylphenidate for recreational purposes (Babcock & Byrne, 2000; White, Becker-Blease, & Grace-Bishop, 2006).
Studies suggest that physicians are disinclined to prescribe these medications to young, cognitively healthy people (Banjo et al., 2010). In part, this reluctance stems from concerns about the safety of these compounds and beliefs that the benefits they provide are very small. Certainly, evidence suggests that the benefits of cognitive enhancers in healthy individuals are indeed very modest. But there are ethical issues, too (Hyman, 2011; Lanni et al., 2008).
Should drugs developed as treatments be used as cognitive enhancers in people who do not have the disorders the drugs were designed to help? Why or why not? Be sure to support your answer (and extend beyond a yes or no response).