Some believe that within twenty years people will have embraced the routine use of drugs to enhance performance. Smart drugs will become an essential addition to the armament of self-improvement techniques designed to give children the best possible start in life. ‘Drug bars’, where psychologists identify the most appropriate enhancer for individual clients, will burgeon on the high street and most people will be consuming smart drugs in order to succeed. Indeed, society’s increasing expectations will have made it impossible to achieve success without drugs, and those few ‘misfits’ who refuse to conform or are unable to afford the latest formulation, will be gradually forced to the fringes of society.

The use of drugs to improve cognitive functioning is increasing despite the fact that we do not yet fully understand the physiological or psychological effects of currently available cognitive enhancers. Numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, frontal dementia and Parkinson’s disease, are characterised by persistent cognitive impairments. Several recent studies from our laboratory, and others, have shown that it is possible to improve cognitive functioning in a wide variety of patient groups using drugs such as methylphenidate (RitalinÔ) and modafinil (ProvigilÔ). This talk will describe some of the recent advance in cognitive enhancement and discuss the challenges that society faces as these drugs become more widely available.