Premium
Drugs, games, and devices for enhancing cognition: implications for work and society
Author(s) -
Brühl Annette B.,
Sahakian Barbara J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.13040
Subject(s) - cognition , affect (linguistics) , work (physics) , psychological intervention , psychology , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , medicine , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , psychiatry , mechanical engineering , communication , engineering
As work environments change, the demands on working people change. Cognitive abilities in particular are becoming progressively more important for work performance and successful competition in a global environment. However, work‐related stress, performance over long hours, lack of sleep, shift work, and jet lag affect cognitive functions. Therefore, an increasing number of healthy people are reported to use cognitive‐enhancing drugs, as well as other interventions, such as noninvasive brain stimulation, to maintain or improve work performance. This review summarizes research on pharmacological and technical methods as well as cognitive training, including game apps for the brain, in healthy people. In neuropsychiatric disorders, impairments in cognitive functions can drastically reduce the chances of returning to work; therefore, this review also summarizes findings from pharmacological and cognitive‐training studies in neuropsychiatric disorders.