Study drugs make healthy people worse at problem-solving, not better

FOR MORE than six months Americans have been struggling to get their hands on medications like dextroamphetamine (better known as Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Officially, these stimulant drugs are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Unofficially, the drugs are also popular with devotees of “nootropics”—chemicals that supposedly boost brainpower. Students and workers in industries from tech to finance take the medications in the hope they will improve their concentration and ability to get things done. But a new paper suggests that this may be ill-advised. The drugs seem to make people slightly worse at solving problems, not better.