RE: Performance enhancement with donepezil

From: Damien Broderick (thespike@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Jan 24 2003 - 17:59:26 MST


Hal Finney says:

> this drug (sold under the name Aricept) often
> shows decreased effectiveness after a while. This may be due to the
> progressive nature of Alzheimer's, or it might be that the enhancement
> of the cholinergic system becomes less effective as the brain adjusts
> to its new chemistry.

I suspect that the endogenous levels of most neurohumoral systems might drop
off if the natural supply is continuously enhanced for long enough, and
indeed that their vesicles might be resorbed, perhaps in ways that make it
hard for the brain to rebuild them. I'd be very scared of using enhancers
that routinely shovel in unusual quantities of neurotransmitters. With
Alzheimer patients levels are already depleted, and the patients usually
elderly, so perhaps there's not much to lose. For the rest of us--brrrr.

Damien Broderick
[not really Mr. Natural, but still]



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