[Neuro-enhancement from an addiction specialist's viewpoint]

Abstract

The use of medications to enhance performance in healthy individuals is increasingly being propagated even by neuroscientists under such colorful terms as"neuro-enhancement". A large number of medications, including psychostimulants have been advocated in this context. Recent data from the German health insurance company DAK indicate that a number of employees already take medications to fulfill their professional needs and enhance performance. The use of new drugs in the healthy has even been advocated by prominent neurobiologists in a commentary in a recent edition of Nature. There are a number of ethical objections to this use and there is an apparent risk of addiction. To date German psychiatrists have surprisingly not been outspoken on this issue. The author would like to make an emphatic plea against"brain doping" in healthy individuals.