Pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement among Slovenian university students

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the concept of human enhancement - the idea that the normal capabilities of healthy people can be enhanced through direct technological interventions into the body - has garnered increasing attention in some scientific circles. Most potential enhancement technologies are still in research and development, with a few exceptions, such as pharmaceutical drugs that can increase concentration, memory and wakefulness. Such use has been conceptualized as "pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement" (PCE), and PCE use among students is cited as signifying an important new trend that requires expert and public attention. The article takes up the call to explore PCE trends in national contexts. The results of an online survey covering experiences and attitudes towards PCE among 445 undergraduate students at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, have shown that 6,1 % have already used PCE. Regarding attitudes, 26 % of users and 20 % of nonusers though that healthy adults should be permitted to use PCE according to their own judgment, while 33 % of users and 21 % of nonusers stated they will probably use PCE in the future. A tangible percentage of PCE use is present, but it requires interpretation and several different contextual interpretations are proposed. Ultimately, societies will need to decide how to interpret and potentially address the trend at the national and possibly international level.

Keywords

Kognitivna nevroznanost;Zloraba snovi;Študentje;Slovenija;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2014
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
UDC:	165.194:615.45-057.875(497.4)
COBISS:	32987997
ISSN:	0040-3598
Parent publication:	Teorija in praksa
Views:	630
Downloads:	98
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary abstract:	V zadnjih dveh desetletjih je bil koncept krepitve oz. izboljševanja človeka - ideja, da je običajne zmogljivosti zdravih ljudeh mogoče okrepiti z neposrednimi tehnološkimi posegi v telesu - v nekaterih znanstvenih krogih deležen naraščajoče pozornosti. Večina potencialnih tehnologij krepitve človeka je še vedno v fazi raziskav in razvoja, z nekaj izjemami, kot so farmacevtske učinkovine, ki lahko povečajo koncentracijo, pomnjenje in budnost. Takšna uporaba je pojmovana kot "farmacevtska krepitev kognitivnih zmožnosti" (PCE); uporaba PCE med študenti je pogosto navedena kot pomemben nov trend, ki zahteva strokovno in javno pozornost. Članek se tako odziva pozivu za raziskovanje PCE-trendov v nacionalnih kontekstih. Rezultati spletne ankete, ki zajema izkušnje in odnos do PCE med 445 dodiplomskimi študenti Univerze v Ljubljani, so pokazali, da je 6,1 % že uporabljalo PCE. Stališča do PCE kažejo, da je 26 % uporabnikov in 20 % neuporabnikov mnenja, da bi moralo biti zdravim odraslim dovoljeno, naj PCE uporabljajo po lastni presoji, 33 % uporabnikov in 21 % neuporabnikov pa je izjavilo, da bodo sami najverjetneje uporabljali PCE v prihodnosti. Otipljiv odstotek rabe PCE je torej prisoten, vendar zahteva ustrezno interpretacijo, zato je predlaganih več različnih kontekstualnih razlag. Sodobne družbe se bodo morale navsezadnje odločiti, kako interpretirati in potencialno obravnavati ta trend na nacionalni in morda mednarodni ravni.
Secondary keywords:	Cognitive neuroscience;Substance abuse;Students;Slovenia;
URN:	URN:NBN:SI
Type (COBISS):	Not categorized
Pages:	str. 832-849, 997
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ51
Issue:	ǂšt. ǂ5
Chronology:	sep.-okt. 2014
ID:	9169580