JMJ MARIST BROTHERS

NOTRE DAME OF KIDAPAWAN COLLEGE

KIDAPAWAN CITY

Research Title Justification

1. DAPAL, KAREN MAY C. 1 NURSING
RESEARCHER/S 2. DENAGA, IRIZE PROGRAM 2 NURSING
3. EDING, KURT DANIEL P. 3 NURSING
Perceived Effectivity on the Usage of Brain
RESEARCH TITLE Health Supplements Among the Students of
Notre Dame of Kidapawan College

1. Narrate result of stakeholders’ interviews to support existence of the problems for research.
 In recent years, more students have turned to prescription medication to enhance
cognitive function. The expectation of receiving a performance-enhancing medicine alone
has been shown to boost perceived and real cognitive function, pointing to a significant
placebo effect. Additionally, there may be a nocebo effect when expecting a placebo,
which can lead to decreased perceived and actual cognitive function. The underlying
processes of these impacts, however, are still not well understood. It's interesting to note
that research on the real impact of stimulants on cognitive function in non-clinical
individuals is inconsistent, implying at best a minimal advantage.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6640161/
 According to Barry Gordon, MD, PhD, director of the cognitive
neurology/neuropsychology section at Johns Hopkins Medicine, "no substantial
evidence" supports the effectiveness of any of the supplements now being marketed for
their purported memory-improving properties. He claims that both their effectiveness and
safety are unclear. Additionally, he has doubts about the fundamental idea underlying
nootropics.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/features/nootropics-smart-
drugs-overview
2. Briefly cite authors and their statements supporting the problem you identified.
 For instance, Ilieva et al. showed that a dose of mixed-amphetamine salts improved
perceived cognitive capacity in healthy volunteers but not real cognitive ability, indicating
that pharmaceutical neuroenhancement may only improve subjective impression of
cognitive performance. Fascinatingly, performance expectations may at least partially
account for any improvement in performance that results from drug use, even if that
improvement is due to actual performance.
Source:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6640161/
 Only a small number of studies that use placebo tablets to affect performance
expectations have specifically addressed the question of whether giving them causes
cognitive neuroenhancement that can be quantified subjectively or objectively. Looby and
Earleywine demonstrated that although perceived and actual cognitive performance are
not affected by the expectation of receiving methylphenidate, subjective arousal is. Such
an expectation actually had the tendency to reduce cognitive function. Studies have
repeatedly shown that smart drugs don’t make you smarter, but they’re pretty good at
making you think you’re performing better.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6640161/
3. Discuss how the problem can be solved.
The inclusion standards will be quantitative (surveys). The study will be conducted among
college students at Notre Dame of Kidapawan College studying various courses and known
to be using cognitive enhancer supplements or medications.

4. List scientific articles that support your title.

The Use and Impact of Cognitive Enhancers among University Students: A Systematic Review

By: Safia Sharif,1 Amira Guirguis,1,2,* Suzanne Fergus,1,* and Fabrizio Schifano

Pharmacological Human Enhancement: An Overview of the Looming Bioethical and Regulatory Challenges

By: Giovanna Ricci*

What are nootropics (smart drugs)?

Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — By Jennifer Berry on September 18, 2019

Cognitive enhancers’: A qualitative exploration of university students’ experiences with prescription

medicines for academic purposes

Fanny Monnet https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4983-9486, Christina Ergler

5. Mention subjects / topics in your major field where your proposed title belongs.
Pharmacology: Nootropics, like piracetam, help in learning and memory recall while shielding the
brain from chemical and physical intoxication. Nootropics may have these benefits by increasing
acetylcholine or dopamine release, although this hypothesis needs more research. With specific
reference to vinpocetine, the pharmacology of vinca alkaloids is reviewed. This substance lessens
cognitive impairments, lessens ischaemia-induced death of hippocampus cells, and boosts cerebral
blood flow and glucose uptake. Modulating the amounts of cyclic nucleotides and inhibiting
adenosine re-uptake may both have these effects. Co-dergocrine is an extensively studied ergot
alkaloid that raises the oxygen tension and electrical activity of the ischemic cerebral cortex.