Cognitive Enhancers: A View from Two Developing Countries

Developing countries, such as Brazil or Argentina, share most of the benefits and problems concerning use of cognitive enhancers with developed countries; however, they present some peculiarities related to the potential clientele for these drugs. The ageing population has increased very sharply in Brazil and Argentina because of a rapid increase in life expectancy, but their financial means have not increased. Furthermore, the stress of poverty constitutes a major factor in the development of cognitive disturbances in these countries, in both the young and the old; these disturbances usually pertain to categories that should not be treated with cognitive enhancers.