Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.

<h4>Background</h4>The use of prescription drugs to improve cognitive functioning in normal persons--neuroenhancement"--has gained recent attention from bioethicists and neuroscientists. Enthusiasts claim that the practice is widespread and increasing, and has many potential benefit...

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Autores principales:	Bradley J Partridge, Stephanie K Bell, Jayne C Lucke, Sarah Yeates, Wayne D Hall
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/f5f44f293d03439eb8548fa509fec5d4
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:f5f44f293d03439eb8548fa509fec5d42021-11-18T07:33:18ZSmart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0028416https://doaj.org/article/f5f44f293d03439eb8548fa509fec5d42011-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/22140584/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>The use of prescription drugs to improve cognitive functioning in normal persons--neuroenhancement"--has gained recent attention from bioethicists and neuroscientists. Enthusiasts claim that the practice is widespread and increasing, and has many potential benefits; however recent evidence provides weak support for these claims. In this study we explored how the newsprint media portrays neuroenhancement.<h4>Aims</h4>We conducted an empirical study of media reporting of neuroenhancement to explore: media portrayals of the prevalence of neuroenhancement; the types of evidence used by the media to support claims about its prevalence; and, the possible benefits and risks of neuroenhancement mentioned in these media articles.<h4>Methods</h4>Using the Factiva database, we found 142 newspaper articles about the non-medical use prescription drugs for neuroenhancement for the period 2008-2010. We conducted a thematic content analysis of how articles portrayed the prevalence of neuroenhancement; what type of evidence they used in support; and, the potential benefits and risks/side-effects of neuroenhancement that were mentioned.<h4>Results</h4>87% of media articles mentioned the prevalence of neuroenhancement, and 94% portrayed it as common, increasing or both. 66% referred to the academic literature to support these claims and 44% either named an author or a journal. 95% of articles mentioned at least one possible benefit of using prescription drugs for neuroenhancement, but only 58% mentioned any risks/side effects. 15% questioned the evidence for efficacy of prescription drugs to produce benefits to users.<h4>Conclusions</h4>News media articles mentioned the possible benefits of using drugs for neuroenhancement more than the potential risks/side effects, and the main source for media claims that neuroenhancement is common and increasingly widespread has been reports from the academic literature that provide weak support for this claim. We urge journalists and researchers to be cautious in their portrayal of the non-medical use of drugs for neuroenhancement.Bradley J PartridgeStephanie K BellJayne C LuckeSarah YeatesWayne D HallPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 6, Iss 11, p e28416 (2011)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Bradley J Partridge Stephanie K Bell Jayne C Lucke Sarah Yeates Wayne D Hall Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
description	<h4>Background</h4>The use of prescription drugs to improve cognitive functioning in normal persons--neuroenhancement"--has gained recent attention from bioethicists and neuroscientists. Enthusiasts claim that the practice is widespread and increasing, and has many potential benefits; however recent evidence provides weak support for these claims. In this study we explored how the newsprint media portrays neuroenhancement.<h4>Aims</h4>We conducted an empirical study of media reporting of neuroenhancement to explore: media portrayals of the prevalence of neuroenhancement; the types of evidence used by the media to support claims about its prevalence; and, the possible benefits and risks of neuroenhancement mentioned in these media articles.<h4>Methods</h4>Using the Factiva database, we found 142 newspaper articles about the non-medical use prescription drugs for neuroenhancement for the period 2008-2010. We conducted a thematic content analysis of how articles portrayed the prevalence of neuroenhancement; what type of evidence they used in support; and, the potential benefits and risks/side-effects of neuroenhancement that were mentioned.<h4>Results</h4>87% of media articles mentioned the prevalence of neuroenhancement, and 94% portrayed it as common, increasing or both. 66% referred to the academic literature to support these claims and 44% either named an author or a journal. 95% of articles mentioned at least one possible benefit of using prescription drugs for neuroenhancement, but only 58% mentioned any risks/side effects. 15% questioned the evidence for efficacy of prescription drugs to produce benefits to users.<h4>Conclusions</h4>News media articles mentioned the possible benefits of using drugs for neuroenhancement more than the potential risks/side effects, and the main source for media claims that neuroenhancement is common and increasingly widespread has been reports from the academic literature that provide weak support for this claim. We urge journalists and researchers to be cautious in their portrayal of the non-medical use of drugs for neuroenhancement.
format	article
author	Bradley J Partridge Stephanie K Bell Jayne C Lucke Sarah Yeates Wayne D Hall
author_facet	Bradley J Partridge Stephanie K Bell Jayne C Lucke Sarah Yeates Wayne D Hall
author_sort	Bradley J Partridge
title	Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
title_short	Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
title_full	Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
title_fullStr	Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
title_full_unstemmed	Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
title_sort	smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2011
url	https://doaj.org/article/f5f44f293d03439eb8548fa509fec5d4
work_keys_str_mv	AT bradleyjpartridge smartdrugsascommonascoffeemediahypeaboutneuroenhancement AT stephaniekbell smartdrugsascommonascoffeemediahypeaboutneuroenhancement AT jayneclucke smartdrugsascommonascoffeemediahypeaboutneuroenhancement AT sarahyeates smartdrugsascommonascoffeemediahypeaboutneuroenhancement AT waynedhall smartdrugsascommonascoffeemediahypeaboutneuroenhancement
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Smart drugs "as common as coffee": media hype about neuroenhancement.

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