Aniracetam does not improve working memory in neurologically healthy pigeons

Effects of Smart Drugs on Cholinergic System and Non-Neuronal Acetylcholine in the Mouse Hippocampus: Histopathological Approach

In recent years, people in the United States and other countries have been using smart drugs, called nootropic or cognitive enhancers, to improve concentration and memory learning skills. However, these drugs were originally prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and dementia, and their efficacy in healthy people has not yet been established. We focused on acetylcholine in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory learning, and elucidate the long-term effects of smart drugs on the neural circuits. Smart drugs were administered orally in normal young mice for seven weeks. The hippocampus was sectioned and compared histologically by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry for acetylcholine, and immunoelectron microscopy. There were no significant changes in acetylcholinesterase staining. However, in HE, we found perivascular edema, and choline acetyltransferase staining showed increased staining throughout the hippocampus and new signal induction in the perivascular area in the CA3, especially in the aniracetam and α-glyceryl phosphoryl choline group. Additionally, new muscarinic acetylcholine receptor signals were observed in the CA1 due to smart drug intake, suggesting that vasodilation might cause neuronal activation by increasing the influx of nutrients and oxygen. Moreover, these results suggest a possible new mechanism of acetylcholine-mediated neural circuit activation by smart drug intake.

Professor Ian G. Tucker: Man of many talents

This special issue of the journal dedicated to Professor Tucker naturally will contain many allusions from colleagues around the world to Ian's varied research and academic activities and the great variety of topics investigated during his career. It is a pleasure for me to be able to write this note about our interactions, like many academics across continents, and to reflect on what Ian has achieved in extending the boundaries of pharmaceutics.

The Psychonauts' World of Cognitive Enhancers

BACKGROUND

There is growing availability of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), including cognitive enhancers (CEs) which can be used in the treatment of certain mental health disorders. While treating cognitive deficit symptoms in neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders using CEs might have significant benefits for patients, the increasing recreational use of these substances by healthy individuals raises many clinical, medico-legal, and ethical issues. Moreover, it has become very challenging for clinicians to keep up-to-date with CEs currently available as comprehensive official lists do not exist.

METHODS

Using a web crawler (NPSfinder®), the present study aimed at assessing psychonaut fora/platforms to better understand the online situation regarding CEs. We compared NPSfinder® entries with those from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) NPS databases up to spring 2019. Any substance that was identified by NPSfinder® was considered a CE if it was either described as having nootropic abilities by psychonauts or if it was listed among the known CEs by Froestl and colleagues.

RESULTS

A total of 142 unique CEs were identified by NPSfinder®. They were divided into 10 categories, including plants/herbs/products (29%), prescribed drugs (17%), image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) (15%), psychostimulants (15%), miscellaneous (8%), Phenethylamines (6%), GABAergic drugs (5%), cannabimimetic (4%), tryptamines derivatives (0.5%), and piperazine derivatives (0.5%). A total of 105 chemically different substances were uniquely identified by NPSfinder®. Only one CE was uniquely identified by the EMCDDA; no CE was uniquely identified by the UNODC.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that NPSfinder® is helpful as part of an Early Warning System, which could update clinicians with the growing numbers and types of nootropics in the increasingly difficult-to-follow internet world. Improving clinicians' knowledge of NPS could promote more effective prevention and harm reduction measures in clinical settings.