Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Miranda, M
Data de Publicação: 2022
Outros Autores: Barbosa, M
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/46477
Resumo: Introduction: Nonmedical use of prescription drugs and other substances for cognitive enhancement in the academic environment has been documented in several studies. However, the prevalence among Portuguese university students is unknown. We aimed to assess the prevalence and academic contexts of the use of cognitive enhancers of a sample of Portuguese medical students. Material and methods: An online questionnaire about the use of cognitive enhancers was completed by 1156 participants, who were either medical students (group 1) or newly qualified physicians applying for the Portuguese medical licensing exam (group 2). Results: Coffee was the most frequently used substance for cognitive enhancement purposes in both groups, whereas nonmedical use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was lower in undergraduate students (5%) and higher in licensing exam applicants (14%). Methylphenidate (35%) and modafinil (10%) were the most consumed prescription substances and they were mainly used to enhance attention (83%) and memory (44%). Use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was mainly associated with studying for medical school exams and the medical licensing exam. Most prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement were obtained through medical prescription (54%). Discussion: These results show a low consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement by Portuguese medical students. Licensing exam applicants show a higher consumption of almost every substance included in this study, which might be explained by the crucial role of the exam in defining their future career path and desire by students to improve the cognitive skills that determine exam success. Conclusion: Studying drugtaking behaviors in medical students and young doctors is relevant for public health and medical education, since they will soon be in charge of drugs prescription. Therefore, ethical and medical concerns raised by off label consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement purposes must be openly addressed.
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spelling Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?Estratégias de Aprimoramento Cognitivo em Estudantes de Medicina Portugueses: Qual a Relevância dos Desafios Académicos?Desempenho AcadémicoEstimulantes do Sistema Nervoso CentralEstudantes de MedicinaUso Indevido de MedicamentosAcademic PerformanceCentral Nervous System StimulantsPrescription Drug MisuseStudents, MedicalIntroduction: Nonmedical use of prescription drugs and other substances for cognitive enhancement in the academic environment has been documented in several studies. However, the prevalence among Portuguese university students is unknown. We aimed to assess the prevalence and academic contexts of the use of cognitive enhancers of a sample of Portuguese medical students. Material and methods: An online questionnaire about the use of cognitive enhancers was completed by 1156 participants, who were either medical students (group 1) or newly qualified physicians applying for the Portuguese medical licensing exam (group 2). Results: Coffee was the most frequently used substance for cognitive enhancement purposes in both groups, whereas nonmedical use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was lower in undergraduate students (5%) and higher in licensing exam applicants (14%). Methylphenidate (35%) and modafinil (10%) were the most consumed prescription substances and they were mainly used to enhance attention (83%) and memory (44%). Use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was mainly associated with studying for medical school exams and the medical licensing exam. Most prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement were obtained through medical prescription (54%). Discussion: These results show a low consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement by Portuguese medical students. Licensing exam applicants show a higher consumption of almost every substance included in this study, which might be explained by the crucial role of the exam in defining their future career path and desire by students to improve the cognitive skills that determine exam success. Conclusion: Studying drugtaking behaviors in medical students and young doctors is relevant for public health and medical education, since they will soon be in charge of drugs prescription. Therefore, ethical and medical concerns raised by off label consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement purposes must be openly addressed.Repositório ComumMiranda, MBarbosa, M2023-09-10T20:08:10Z20222022-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/46477engActa Med Port . 2022 Apr 1;35(4):257-26310.20344/amp.14220info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-10-04T15:13:18Zoai:comum.rcaap.pt:10400.26/46477Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T20:33:17.836122Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
Estratégias de Aprimoramento Cognitivo em Estudantes de Medicina Portugueses: Qual a Relevância dos Desafios Académicos?
title Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
spellingShingle Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
Miranda, M
Desempenho Académico
Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central
Estudantes de Medicina
Uso Indevido de Medicamentos
Academic Performance
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Prescription Drug Misuse
Students, Medical
title_short Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
title_full Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
title_fullStr Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
title_full_unstemmed Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
title_sort Use of Cognitive Enhancers by Portuguese Medical Students: Do Academic Challenges Matter?
author Miranda, M
author_facet Miranda, M
Barbosa, M
author_role author
author2 Barbosa, M
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Repositório Comum
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Miranda, M
Barbosa, M
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Desempenho Académico
Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central
Estudantes de Medicina
Uso Indevido de Medicamentos
Academic Performance
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Prescription Drug Misuse
Students, Medical
topic Desempenho Académico
Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central
Estudantes de Medicina
Uso Indevido de Medicamentos
Academic Performance
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Prescription Drug Misuse
Students, Medical
description Introduction: Nonmedical use of prescription drugs and other substances for cognitive enhancement in the academic environment has been documented in several studies. However, the prevalence among Portuguese university students is unknown. We aimed to assess the prevalence and academic contexts of the use of cognitive enhancers of a sample of Portuguese medical students. Material and methods: An online questionnaire about the use of cognitive enhancers was completed by 1156 participants, who were either medical students (group 1) or newly qualified physicians applying for the Portuguese medical licensing exam (group 2). Results: Coffee was the most frequently used substance for cognitive enhancement purposes in both groups, whereas nonmedical use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was lower in undergraduate students (5%) and higher in licensing exam applicants (14%). Methylphenidate (35%) and modafinil (10%) were the most consumed prescription substances and they were mainly used to enhance attention (83%) and memory (44%). Use of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement was mainly associated with studying for medical school exams and the medical licensing exam. Most prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement were obtained through medical prescription (54%). Discussion: These results show a low consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement by Portuguese medical students. Licensing exam applicants show a higher consumption of almost every substance included in this study, which might be explained by the crucial role of the exam in defining their future career path and desire by students to improve the cognitive skills that determine exam success. Conclusion: Studying drugtaking behaviors in medical students and young doctors is relevant for public health and medical education, since they will soon be in charge of drugs prescription. Therefore, ethical and medical concerns raised by off label consumption of prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement purposes must be openly addressed.
publishDate 2022
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022
2022-01-01T00:00:00Z
2023-09-10T20:08:10Z
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/46477
url http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/46477
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Acta Med Port . 2022 Apr 1;35(4):257-263
10.20344/amp.14220
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