{"id":2709,"date":"2015-06-08T14:14:31","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T14:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=2709"},"modified":"2015-06-08T14:34:27","modified_gmt":"2015-06-08T14:34:27","slug":"speeding-up-or-slowing-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=2709","title":{"rendered":"Speeding up…or slowing down"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"edward<\/a>

edward muslak\/too much for my brain\/Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Last Thursday an article in The Metro<\/em> caught my eye. It stated that, according to a new study,<\/span> taking amphetamines could help restore brain function in older people, It was a light-hearted piece, asking readers whether octogenarians would in future pull knitting all-nighters or whizz through Super Sudokus on speed.<\/p>\n

It made me chuckle for a number of reasons. One, though not yet an octogenarian, I had been thinking of relearning how to knit. Two, I love Sudokus. And three, in my formative years, I can admit that \u2013 of the illegal substances on offer \u2013 speed would have been my first choice. Should I look in this direction again?<\/p>\n

Obviously, more research into the topic was needed. Digging a little deeper I discovered that the study was carried out at the Max Planck Ins<\/span>titute for Human Development in Berlin, where researchers claimed that their findings represent the first \u2018proof of concept\u2019 for a link between dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a part in controlling the brain\u2019s reward and pleasure centres, and improving brain function.<\/p>\n

Again, this piece hit home…because both my parents suffered from Parkinson\u2019s Disease and my father trialled L-Dopa, which was used to increase dopamine co<\/span>ncentrations by entering via the central nervous system. Sadly, one of the side effects was physical spasms, which he shrugged off with good humour. But could he (or she) have benefited from a daily tab of speed? It might have resulted in a whirling dervish, but I wonder what impact it would have had on brain activity and working memory.<\/p>\n

In truth, it is highly unlikely that I will become a speed merchant. Yes, the idea of an energy boost on tap is pretty appealing but not so the come-down. The topic as a whole did, however, prompt some very interesting memories.<\/p>\n