| |
N |
Major findings |
| Catecholaminergics |
| Methylphenidate |
56 |
Strongest evidence in working memory enhancement, and weaker evidence in other memory domains and attention. No evidence for vigilance improvement and some evidence for subjective improvement of wakefulness reported by users. |
| Modafinil |
51 |
Moderate positive effect on attention. No evidence for memory or vigilance enhancement. |
| Amphetamines |
24 |
Strong positive effects on verbal learning, delayed memory, vigilance and inhibitory control. |
| COMT inhibitor: Tolcapone |
3 |
Enhancement of verbal episodic memory. |
| Levo-DOPA |
7 |
Some positive effectsin encoding but no effect on memory and selective attention. |
| Dopamine partial agonist: Pramipexole |
2 |
No enhancement effect. |
| Alpha2 adrenergics receptors agonists |
5 |
No enhancement effect. |
| Serotoninergic and noradrenergic antidepressive agents |
65 |
No enhancement effect. |
| Caffeine |
>20 |
Possible small improvement of performance, but the major effect seems to be the reversal of the withdrawal effects. |
| Cholinergics |
| Nicotine |
41 |
Significant positive effects on fine motor, alerting attention, orienting attention, short-term episodic memory and working memory performances. |
| Varenicline |
0 |
No data |
| Donezepil |
12 |
Positive effect on procedural, verbal and spatial memory, information processing and some executive function for single dose, but impairment effect or no effect on attention for repeated dose, especially in older subjects. |
| Anticholinergics |
4 |
Some data for episodic and verbal memory enhancement in the elderly in 2 RCT. Impairments effect have been also described in 2 RCT. |
| Glucocorticoids |
| Hydrocortisone |
19 |
Enhancing or impairingeffects depending on the time of administration. |
| Glutamatergics |
| Ampakines (Farampator and Cx-516) |
4 |
No enhancement effects. |
| NMDA antagonists: Memantine |
7 |
No enhancement effects of single-dose administration. |
| NMDA agonists: D-Cycloserine |
4 |
No clear memory enhancement effect. |
| Racetams |
0 |
No data |
| Phosphodiesterase inhibitors |
0 |
No data |
| Histaminergics |
| Histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist/antagonist: pitolisant |
0 |
No data |
| H1 antagonist fexofenadine |
5 |
No attention or vigilance enhancement effect |
| Melatoninergics |
| Melatonine |
1 |
Positive effect on object recognition in one RCT. |
| Agomelatine |
0 |
No data |
