4 replies to this topic

[pinballwizard]

I am just curious if there is some nootropic/smart drug ranking out there?

I have not found hardly anything.

I realize this will revive the well-known debate that all brains are different and some smart drugs don't have a positive effect on certain individuals. Let's save it please. These rankings would be for normal, common individuals.

I need some resources if I am going to go to task and come up with rankings. Perhaps there are surveys in the journals.

It would be great to put some of the journals into their proper perspective.

Rankings should be based upon the amount of cognitive enhancement in normal individuals who have a stack of nootropics. Risk rankings should be based upon normal inviduals with a stack of nootropics.

I would like to get some sort of ranking together. From an earlier post I have this from the book Brain Candy http://www.imminst.o...t=0

I think this is a starting point, even though we all agree the author might be going a little overboard with the risks. What are some other starting points? Are there other books with rankings? Posts? Links? Research methods?

This seems like an impossible task, without any help and without a background in medicine or biochemistry and the fact that I am a sub100 poster.

Thanks,

Pinball

[ocsrazor]

Hi Pinball,

By way of introduction, I'm a neuroscientist/neuroengineer. The problem with most nootropics people are using these days is that their effect is like hitting the brain with a hammer - they are far too nonspecific in their action to predict their effect on a single individual, or even a single individual on different days. Most of them work on very general metabolic processes. I dont doubt their efficacy for certain individuals, but there effects will vary widely.

The best hope for a rating system would be to ask people who have actually experimented on themselves. From personal experience, I can tell you the literature is not very good on this subject. The studies are far too small to be really meaningful, and as I mentioned above the effects of the drugs are highly nonspecific. That said, it would be interesting to see a compiled collection of various people's reports on different nootropics - so good luck. If I see anything of interest I'll forward it too you.

BTW, in my opinion exercise and diet are more powerful moderators of attention and mental function than just about any nootropic that has yet been created.

Best,
Peter

[nootropi]

A ranking is largely impossible, for there are several different categories, each may be more or less important depending on the needs of the individual.

I disagree with deferring to any particular book or individual for these answers; they must be addressed by a community/such as this; where each member may offer his or her opinion and the judgement will then be in the collective; the truth can not be defined by any one of us.

As has been discussed before, fine tuning your brain is a sensitive process which demands the uttermost care and caution. Your brain is your most delicate organ. Its power can be harnessed, even orchestrated to unimaginable heights; but we first must humbly address our own weaknesses and awknowlege our strengths.

The most astonishing family of nootropics are piracetam and its derivatives while the most effective "smart drug," however, may be modafinil, simply because it accentuates your ability to be aware of your surroundings and retain its intellectual contents and has no negative rebound effect.

[scottl]

"A ranking is largely impossible, for there are several different categories, each may be more or less important depending on the needs of the individual."

Bingo.

Also, and this is just my wondering as I am still exploring, but from reading reviews of...I think it is aniracetam on the avant forum, some people have positive reactions to it, some have negative, and some react positively to other racetams who react negatively to anirecatam.

Also, I think we should really take ocsrazor's advice to heart. Exercise and diet play a huge role e.g. high protein meals are really great to promote alertness.

[nootropi]

There are several elements, and yes, diet is very important. Excercise may play a role as well.