News and Views from kSero
Up to 25 Percent of College Students Use Stimulant
Drugs to Enhance Performance	May 20, 2007
By Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D. kSero Centers for the Mind www.ksero.net
On May 14, I attended the first conference on the ethics of cognitive enhancement, a subject I will write about in a future newsletter. During her presentation, Martha Farah, professor at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania cited statistics about the campus use of stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, to improve concentration and studying. Her concern about this type of use was that the effects of these drugs, categorized as Schedule II controlled substances by the FDA, have not been evaluated in people who do not have attention or concentration problems. Dr. Farah described small studies in which concentration actually deteriorated in normal adults when administered stimulant medications. Commentary: As the debate continues to rage over the long-term safety and efficacy of these drugs, it is best to be cautious and completely avoid using stimulant medications as a first resort. It is essential that college studies use less risky, and potentially more effective, means to improve their concentration and performance. The academic panel at the conference criticized the use of dietary supplements without a shred of evidence to support their position. At kSero, I have obtained measurable benefits from our clients' judicious use of supplements, and formulated the first supplement bar that improves focus in a healthy way. See www.fuserbar.com.