Cognitive enhancement drugs such as Ritalin are routinely used in an “off label” manner by students, doctors and other professionals to increase memory and concentration. And while the use of any medication–especially for off label purposes should be strongly cautioned–some experts are now saying cognitive enhancement drugs are no more dangerous than a cup of coffee. In a tough global economy, where business executives are always looking for an edge, should brain drugs be permitted in the workplace?
Earlier in the year I wrote an article where I detailed a hypothetical situation of two candidates vying for a marketing position. One candidate decided to take a brain booster drug to help him interview better, while the other candidate considered making the same choice–just to stay competitive.
And while reader responses varied to this particular dilemma, a new commentary in the December 2008 issue of Nature suggests brain boosters such as Ritalin, Adderall, or Provigil are a perfectly acceptable method of improving mental performance.
The writers of the article, which include a group of psychologists, and cognitive neuroscientists say, “Cognitive enhancement, unlike enhancement for sport competitions could lead to substantive improvements in the world.”
In a testimonial for the use of brain boosters taken from the article, Henry Greely of Stanford Law School in California, and Barbara Sahakian, a psychiatry professor from the University of Cambridge in Britain said, “We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function.”
Do we really need cognitive enhancements to improve brain functions?
The human brain is an amazing organ, loaded with billions of neurons that process an amazing amount of information–according to one source, “20 million billion calculations per second.” And while our brains arguably have a fixed capacity, it seems that in a quest “to get ahead” there are many who feel the need to take brain drugs to push their brains to perform even better.
An article in Technology Review makes mention of another Nature survey of 1,400 people across 60 countries. A stunning twenty percent of respondents mentioned that they had taken brain boosting drugs to increase mental performance!
And according to the article, nearly 7% of students in U.S. universities have used prescription stimulants, and on some campuses, as many as a quarter of students have used the drugs for non-therapeutic purposes. These are students who will eventually be coming into the workplace. If they are taking cognitive enhancements to get ahead now, are we fooling ourselves that they will stop once they enter the workforce?
Let’s be honest. These are challenging economic times. Those who are employed are feeling the pressure to perform even stronger, and those who are unemployed may be competing with candidates who are doing all they can to land an open position.
Business executives of all stripes will be confronted with tough choices–and one of those choices could be whether to use cognitive enhancing drugs to maintain or increase performance.
The pressure is real. How will you respond?
Questions for DailyFix readers:
* Should healthy adults have access to cognitive enhancing drugs?
* The scientists in the Nature article argue that cognitive enhancing drugs are just a tool to improve performance, much like using the internet, maintaining good health habits, or getting a better education. Do you agree?
* Do you think there will be more pressure to take cognitive enhancements during these challenging economic conditions?
* Should employers have a policy regarding employee use of “brain boosters”? Is this a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation, or should companies outright ban such stimulants in the workplace?
Related posts:
- Brain Boosters ? Accepted in the Workplace?
- Brain Drugs – Unfair Competitive Advantage?
- Left Brain–Right Brain?
- What Sex Is Your Brain?
- News We Can Use on the Female Brain
Tags: cognitive enhancements, hiring practices, marketing ethics, mental performance, Recession
Dangerous question and one that leads to a slippery slope. Should Gov’t intervene? I hope not. Should intelligent adults make good decisions about their health? Absolutely.
Stephen, thank you for commenting and Happy New Year to you!
So does an “intelligent” decision involve the regular use of cognitive enhancements?
Recently I got in trouble at work for general lack of focus, resulting in sloppy paper work and lateness. I started to look into my ADD issues. Ritalin seems to be a option. I may try in the New Year. I am an Ad exec, I am highly valued for my creativity and tenacity. However the details have never been my strong suit. Basically people put up with my failings because I bring in $$$. But in a tough market I can’t rely on my charm as much. So I am going to go the Ritalin route. i am going the ritalin route because it is fast acting. When i need to focus I can take the pill… when i need to be creative I don’t need it. I believe this to be the best approach that won’t totally kill my creative side..
Hi Twiddle, I appreciate the openness in discussing your particular challenges.
I believe in your instance, if diagnosed by a medical professional, that such a pharmaceutical could assist in improving your concentration.
I’m more concerned however, with the growing off label usage of such drugs. There are varying accounts of the effectiveness of cognitive enhancers, whereas in some instances a good night’s sleep might actually help a person more.
That said, I’m sure others will weigh in with their take, especially those who have used or continue to use cognitive enhancers in an off-label manner…
Do people really need these drugs to perform well in their jobs? I doubt there is a free lunch, cognitive or otherwise. There may be negative health effects or even cognitive effects. Has enough research really been done on this?
Adults should be able to make their own decisions on such matters but it seems unwise to take the word of psychologists and cognitive scientists. Do they really know the health effects and implications?
This whole thing concerns me in same way it concerns me that so many children are medicated and the list of drugs that children and adults take keeps growing…
Neil, I think you’ve hit one of the key issues, and that is we just don’t know the long term effects of regular off-label usage of cognitive enhancers.
It seems every three months, there is a report that coffee is good for you, wait it’s bad for you, now it’s good for you. If we have this much confusion over coffee, what are the short/long term implications of cognitive enhancers?
Yes, and the issue, I think, is bigger than that. I am not one to bash big pharma as they have one of the most productive research & development operations in the world. Truly miraculous drugs have come out of this investment in research and development. That’s great.
What concerns me is I think perhaps the pendulum has swung to far toward too many people taking too many drugs — many of these drugs are taken more or less permanently. So now someone adds a cognitive enhancer to the mix? Is it temporary? I doubt it. I bet it is something they take for the long term.
And beyond adults, is it really necessary or safe for children to be prescribed drugs so often?
We, in this society, are a bit loosey goosey when it comes to prescriptions. I think adults should be free to make their own decisions but it seems you would want to be a bit careful about giving children or adults something (Ritalin) that lists the following as possible side effects (courtesy of drugs.com):
fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
feeling like you might pass out;
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
aggression, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches);
easy bruising, purple spots on your skin; or
dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).
How exactly is this that much different than performance enhancing drugs in sports? Yes, pro athletes make more money when they perform better, but they also produce more money for their teams, sponsors, etc. How is that benefit or good for those businesses different or less important than the good served by everyday employees using cognitive enhancing drugs? Will the employees not perhaps make more money because of their choice to use such drugs? Should only those workers in industries considered to be “for the common good” be allowed to use them? If so, who determines what those industries are? And if someone uses said enhancers for a period of time are they doomed to continuous use to be able to compete at their job? Economy woes aside, the workplace is always going to be competitive.
The fact that a group of scientists have determined that there are minimal physical and mental repercussions to using cognitive enhancers does not make the practice legal or ethical. I often find it hard to concentrate, but that’s something I need to address myself in order to become a stronger, more well-rounded individual and employee. Tying my performance and production to prescription medications with little insight as to what damage could result to my body and brain years from now doesn’t seem like a good option to me.
I think we agree, Katrina, as I my post indicates.
The only thing that, perhaps, we disagree on is whether adults should make their own decisions.
I would choose no to these drugs but would not presume to impose my view on other adults.
Katrina, thank you for sharing your sentiments on cognitive enhancers. As you rightly point out, using such drugs for off-label purposes could be very dangerous long term and we shouldn’t take these drugs just because a group of scientists and psychiatrists think we should.
The Tech Review article I cited in this post believes that these drugs will be used by only a small segment of the population. I see that small segment growing, however…
Will cognitive enhancers lead to an unfair competitive advantage in the workplace, ultimately putting those who don’t take them at significant disadvantage?
What a fascinating discussion.
Maybe I have been living under a rock (or more accurately, the less competitive West Coast) but the thought of taking drugs to perform better for a desk job like marketing baffles me.
I personally would be more concerned about the increase in other (non-drug related) performance boosters during the tough economic year/s ahead: lying, cheating, backstabbing, using sexuality to get ahead, etc.
None of us know what effect drugs will have in our workplaces…yet. But to answer your last question, Paul, I think it could lead to an unfair competitive advantage in the workplace, but with so many people in our country already on some sort of (prescribed) drug, will it really make that big of a difference? And I don’t really see how companies could tackle this kind of drug taking in an outright ban (how to track?), but this discussion hopefully will help managers keep an eye out for those that are excessively using these drugs to merely perform on the job.
Amy, I appreciate your comments. You make a good point that it would be difficult to track and ensure compliance of a corporate policy banning cognitive enhancers.
That said, I could see it built into an code of ethics that employees are required to sign. At my company, we have to go through a web based training and sign an ethics form every year. Perhaps this is a good place for inclusion.
Since this IS a marketing blog, I felt someone should tie this back in to marketing. So here ya’ go:
Introducing BrainAgra!
Natural Brain Enhancement.
Guaranteed to increase the size of your Prefontal Cortex by up to 30% in less than 30 days.
Chicks dig guys with big brains. Order your today.
Eric, thanks for commenting. As you know, business ethics apply to all disciplines and some outsiders would argue marketers need even more help.
That said, thanks for the humorous take!
Since I suffer from Sleep Apnea for a few years now (Apnoea in UK), which hugely affects my ability to concentrate and short-term memory, I am now seriously considering these drugs.
Would that be wrong in my situation?
Vincent, thanks for commenting. Regarding your query, it would be irresponsible of me to give an opinion on your specific situation, I suggest working with a qualified medical professional.
That said, you bring up a very poignant moral dillemma. Is it “wrong” to use cognitive enhancements? Under what circumstances should they be permitted?
Marketing directors, VPs and others who are building world class marketing organizations will undoubtedly be challenged with the use of cognitive enhancers in the workplace. How will you respond?
Paul, this is a Pandora’s box issue. As someone who lives in an ADHD household, I can attest to a layperson’s knowledge of psycho-stimulant medication.
First of all, these drugs are intended for people whose neurotransmitters aren’t firing properly. For non-ADHD individuals, the drug acts as speed. Sure, it can enhance mental performance, but at what cost?
The drug can speed up your heart rate, cause a reduction in appetite, loss of weight, and problems in falling asleep, irritability, headaches, increased blood pressure, and the list goes on. Check it out: http://www.sharpermindcenters.com/side_affects.htm
Linda Naiman of Creativity at Work defines “creativity” as, “the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. Innovation is the production or implementation of an idea. If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.”
I believe that ideas are mostly inspirational. Some people have the gift and some people just don’t. Implementing ideas requires detail orientation and discipline. No amount of stimulant medication can turn individuals into creative or detail-oriented people if the talent and skills aren’t there to begin with.
just doing a round of EFT and some deep meaningful meditation (like a vipassana) for even 10 minutes is enough to produce the same competitive spirit and fire more neurons than you can ever imagine. drungs is the last thing anyone should go near…the body and the mind is perfect as it is – we just need to gently learn to harness it. I am sad to learn that people are reading all these blogs and ideas around the world and the young minds think that taking drugs ( whatever they may be) is OK. Nothing against the pharma companies but I feel these drugs are dangerous if misused…
I agree with ramesh@revive. Our responsibility is to teach the younger generation better values of life- one of them is to look for healthier options, rather than run after shortcuts. We can do this effectively and affectively by following the same values.
Elaine, thank you for sharing your experience and the quote on the difference between imagination and creativity. I had not heard that definition before.
One of the authors of the article in question says, “Remember, these drugs don’t make you smarter. They keep you awake so you can study so you can be smarter.” He also says they should not be taken for everyday mental processes.
So while cognitive enhnancers may not make one more creative or detail oriented, they may essentially add a couple of hours to the day for some people…
Ramesh and Prema, thanks for commenting. Like you, I think there are plenty of healthy alternatives to keeping the human body “optimized”. Never underestimate the power of a good night sleep, exercise, and eating properly to help recharge the mind.
Paul, “Never underestimate the power of a good night sleep”
Indeed, that is the problem with sleep apnea, and contrary to the comment / definition / perception of “the difference between imagination and creativity” I beg to dissagree.
I may have creativity, but lack the ability to ‘act’ effectively due to extreme lethargy caused by the condition – not the talent.
Paul, this is a great post. We had a discussion on this topic at a recent staff meeting. I expected our younger team members to have lots of stories about Ritalin & Adderall use on the university level. While we are an admittedly small sample size, our junior staff agreed that the drugs were freely available but didn’t perceive that everyone was jumping at the chance to take them.
I have not taken the medications in question, but I wonder whether, if abused, they might have a negative affect on some of the “softer skills” that marketing & PR pros require. It’s important to tick things off of one’s list in a timely manner, sure, but what happens when you are the only one in the office getting the boost? Do you drive everyone else crazy? (Do they drive you crazy?) Again, I’m not referring to those who have medical reasons for taking the drugs, but for the un-prescribed person going for a brain boost.
Leslie, I really appreciate your comments! The fact that this topic was brought up in a staff meeting provides validity to its real world application.
Food for thought…
I don’t know about you, but if confronted with the choice, I’d rather lose the job/interview/project based on my innate skills and intelligence than take a brain booster or two like another internal competitor might. Every marketing executive in the workplace will need to make their own decision on this important topic.
Am I a hypocrite, however, for drinking a diet pepsi everyday?