The “nootropic” or simplified as a “smart drug,” “brain booster,” or “memory enhancing drug,” is a common term that will tag along with the compound responsible for the enhancement of mental performance. By definition, nootropic is a compound that increases mental functions including memory, motivation, concentration, and attention . There are two different nootropics: synthetic, a lab created compound such as Piracetam, and notable natural and herbal nootropics, such as Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng).

 

Nootropics or smart drugs are well-known compounds or supplements that enhance the cognitive performance. They work by increasing the mental function such as memory, creativity, motivation, and attention. Recent researches were focused on establishing a new potential nootropic derived from synthetic and natural products. The influence of nootropic in the brain has been studied widely. The nootropic affects the brain performances through number of mechanisms or pathways, for example, dopaminergic pathway. Previous researches have reported the influence of nootropics on treating memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Those disorders are observed to impair the same pathways of the nootropics. Thus, recent established nootropics are designed sensitively and effectively towards the pathways. Natural nootropics such as Ginkgo biloba have been widely studied to support the beneficial effects of the compounds. Present review is concentrated on the main pathways, namely, dopaminergic and cholinergic system, and the involvement of amyloid precursor protein and secondary messenger in improving the cognitive performance.

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Nootropics (also referred to as neuro enhancers, and cognitive enhancers) are thought to work by altering the availability of the brain's supply of neurochemicals (i.e. neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones), by improving the brain's oxygen supply, or by stimulating nerve growth.

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The word nootropic was coined in 1972 by a Romanian psychologist and chemist, Corneliu E. Giurgea from the Greek words νοῦς (nous), or "mind", and τρέπειν (trepein), meaning to bend or turn. Dr. Giurgea proposed the following criteria for determining whether or not a substance fits the "nootropic" descriptor:

• Enhancement of learning and memory function

• Improvement of learned behaviors when conditions are set to disrupt them (e.g. administering an amnesiac)

• Must be neuroprotective

• Must be extremely low in toxicity, with few to no side effects

However, the term has come to acquire a popular meaning that does not require all of these criteria.

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Classes

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There are several classes of nootropics, as well as compounds which fit no specific classification. Once of the most well-known and most-utilized is that of the racetams, the prototypical example being that of piracetam, the first nootropic recognized as such in 1964. The racetams all share a 2-pyrrolidinone cycle. Other racetam nootropics include aniracetam, oxiracetam, phenylpiracetam, and coluracetam.

A second class of nootropic compounds are the synthetic peptides, the most common example being that of noopept. Although not a racetam, noopept is commonly grouped with racetams due to a similar mode of action.

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As nootropics science is in its infancy, there are new compounds being synthesized such as IDRA-21, PRL-8-53, unifiram, sunifiram, etc. which do not neatly fit into a structural class. Additionally, side effects, dosages, dangerous interactions and the like are virtually unknown for some of these compounds.

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Natural Nootropics

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There are two different nootropics: synthetic, a lab created compound such as Piracetam, and notable natural and herbal nootropics, such as Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng).

 

Natural nootropics are proven in boosting the brain function while at the same time making the brain healthier. Nootropics act as a vasodilator against the small arteries and veins in the brain. Introduction of natural nootropics in the system will increase the blood circulation to the brain and at the same time provide the important nutrient and increase energy and oxygen flow to the brain.

 

Despite the 3% weight of total body weight, the brain receives around 15% of the body’s total blood supply and oxygen. In fact, the brain can only generate energy from burning the glucose, proving that neuron depends on the continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients.In contrast to most of other cells in the body, neuron cannot be reproduced and is irreplaceable. The neuron cells are persistently expending the converted energy to maintain the repair of the cell compartments. The energy generated from the glucose is crucial for maintenance, electrical, and neurotransmitter purposes. The effect of natural nootropics is also shown to reduce the inflammation occurrence in the brain. The administration of nootropics will protect the brain from toxins and minimizing the effects of brain aging. Effects of natural nootropics in improving the brain function are also contributed through the stimulation of the new neuron cell. As incentive from the new neuronal cell, the activity of the brain is increased, enhancing the thinking and memory abilities, thus increasing neuroplasticity .Commercialised natural nootropics in the market are reacting at different mechanisms, thus affecting different parameters. Natural nootropics alter the concentration of existing neurotransmitters. Natural nootropics have been disclosed to stimulate the release of dopamine, uptake of choline, cholinergic transmission, function of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptor, turnover of phosphatidylinositol, and activity of phosphatase A2 . Some of the natural nootropics act as a positive allosteric modulator for acetylcholine or glutamate receptor [9]. The release of neurotransmitter  and the increase activity of neurotransmitter induced by natural nootropics facilitate the long-term potential (LTP) and improve synaptic transmission.

 

 

 Effects Experienced With Nootropics

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The effects listed below are based upon  personal experiences of nootropics users. These effects should be taken with a grain of salt and will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, but heavier doses will increase the chances of inducing a full range of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become much more likely on higher doses and may include serious injury or death.

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Analysis Enhancement  

Analysis enhancement can be described as a perceived enhancement of one's overall ability to process information and logically or creatively analyse concepts, ideas and scenarios. The experience of this effect can lead to deep and complex states of contemplation which often results in an abundance of new and insightful ideas. This can give the person a perceived ability to analyze concepts and problems in a manner which allows them to gain inspiration or reach new conclusions, perspectives, and solutions which would have been otherwise difficult to conceive of.

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Anxiety Supression  

Anxiety suppression can be described as the partial to complete suppression of a person’s ability to feel anxiety, nervousness, general unease and negative feelings of psychological tension. The experience of this effect may decrease anxiety-related behavior such as rumination, muscular tension, panic attacks, and restlessness.

 

Creativity Enhancement  

Creativity enhancement can be described as a perceived increase in one's capabilities to perform tasks which involve either the production of creative output or complex problem-solving skills. This component is particularly useful to artists of any sort as it can help remove a creative block and generally increase one's inspiration. The experience of this effect is often amplified and maintained by other accompanying cognitive effects such as thought connectivity, motivation enhancement, personal bias suppression, analysis enhancement and thought acceleration.

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Emotionality enhancement  

Emotionality enhancement can be described as an effect which greatly amplifies and enhances one's current emotional state beyond normal levels.
Unlike many other subjective effects such as euphoria or anxiety this effect does not consistently induce specific emotions regardless of a person's current state of mind and mental stability. Instead, it works by amplifying and enhancing the genuine emotions that a person is already feeling prior to ingesting the drug. This causes the effects to be equally capable of manifesting in both a positive and negative direction.

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Empathy, Affection, and Sociability Enhancement  

Empathy, affection, and sociability enhancement can be described as the experience of a perspective which is dominated by intense feelings of compassion, talkativeness, and happiness. The experience of this effect creates a wide range of subjective changes to a person's perception of their feelings towards other people and themselves. These are described and documented in the list below:

 Increased sociability and the feeling that communication is easier and more natural.
 Increased urge to communicate or express one's affectionate feelings towards others, even if they happen to be strangers.
 Increased feelings of empathy, love, and connection with others.
 Increased motivation to resolve social conflicts and improve interpersonal relationships.
 Decreased negative emotions and mental states such as stress, anxiety, fear, and paranoia.
 Decreased insecurity, defensiveness, and fear of emotional injury or lack of acceptance from others.
 Decreased irritability, aggression, anger, and jealousy.
The experience of this effect is often amplified and maintained by other accompanying cognitive effects such as stimulation, motivation enhancement, personal bias suppression, and thought acceleration.

 

Focus Enhancement 

Focus enhancement can be described as the experience of an increased ability to selectively concentrate on an aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. It can be best characterized by feelings of intense concentration which can allow one to focus on and perform tasks which would otherwise be considered too monotonous, boring, or dull to not get distracted from. This will often synergize with other coinciding effects such as motivation enhancement, thought acceleration, and stimulation.

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Immersion Enhancement  

Immersion enhancement can be described as an effect which results in a pronounced increase in one's tendency to become fully captivated or engrossed by external stimuli such as film, tv-shows, video games, and various other forms of media. This greatly increases one's suspension of disbelief, suppresses one's memory of the "outside world", and allows one to become engaged on a level that is largely unattainable during everyday sober living.

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Increased Music Appreciation  

Increased music appreciation can be described as an increased enjoyment of music. When music is listened to within this state, the perceived music and lyrical content may have a profound impact upon its listener.
This experience can give one a sense of hyper-awareness of every sound, lyric, melody and complex layer of noise within a song in addition to an enhanced ability to individually comprehend its multiple layers of noise. The perceived emotional intent of the musician and the meaning of the music may also be felt in a greater level clarity than that which is attainable during everyday sober living.

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Memory Enhancement  

Memory enhancement can be described as an effect which results in an improved ability to recall and retain memories. The experience of this effect can make it significantly easier for a person to access past memories and recall them at a greater level of detail compared to their sober state. It can also help one retain new information that may then be more easily recalled once the person is no longer under the influence of the substance.

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Motivation Enhancement  

Motivation enhancement can be described as an increased desire to perform tasks and accomplish goals in a productive manner. It can be best characterized as an increased desire to perform tasks, including those that would normally be considered too monotonous or overwhelming to fully commit oneself to.
This effect will often synergize with other coinciding effects such as focus enhancement, thought acceleration, and stimulation in a manner which further increases one's productivity.

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Stimulation  

Stimulation can be defined as any changes in a person's energy levels which are interpreted as stimulating and encouraging when it comes to movement and physical activities such as exercising, running, walking, cleaning, socializing, dancing, and climbing.

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Thought Acceleration 

Thought acceleration can be described as the mental process of thought being sped up significantly in comparison to that of normal sobriety. When experiencing this effect, it will often feel as if one rapid fire thought after the other is being generated in incredibly quick succession.
Thought acceleration will often synergize with other coinciding effects such as analysis enhancement and stimulation in a manner which not only increases the speed of thought, but also significantly enhances the sharpness of a person's mental clarity.

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Thought Connectivity  

Thought connectivity can be described as an alteration of a person's thought stream characterized by a distinct increase in wandering thoughts which connect into each other through a fluid association of ideas. Thoughts may be subjectively experienced as a continuous stream of vaguely related ideas which tenuously connect into each other by incorporating a concept that was contained within the previous thought. When experienced, it is often likened to a complex game of word association.
During this state, it is often difficult to consciously guide the direction of ones thoughts. This may result in one's train of thought contemplating an extremely broad variety of subjects, which range from important, trivial, insightful, and nonsensical topics.

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Thought Organization 

Thought organization can be described as a state of cognitive enhancement in which one's ability to analyze and categorize conceptual information using a systematic and logical thought process is considerably increased. It seemingly occurs through the reduction of thoughts unrelated or irrelevant to the topic at hand, thus improving one's capacity for a structured and cohesive thought stream. This effect also seems to allow the user to hold a greater amount of relevant information in their train of thought which can be useful for extended mental calculations, articulating ideas, and analyzing logical arguments.

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Wakefulness

Wakefulness can be described as an increased ability to stay conscious without feeling tired combined with a decreased need to sleep. It is contrasted with stimulation in that it does not directly increase one's energy levels above a normal baseline but instead produces feelings of a wakeful, well-rested and alert state.

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