ReviewCureus2021
Stimulant Usage by Medical Students for Cognitive Enhancement: A Systematic Review.
Review in Cureus, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predictors of Psychoactive and Nootropic Substance Use Among Romanian University Healthcare Students: The Interplay Between Academic Anxiety and Educational Advancement.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- [Performance-related substance use in everyday life and work].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026Review
- Case for caution in expanding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prescribing.Internal medicine journal · 2026Review
- Article
- Psychoactive Substance Use and Its Association with Mental Health Symptomatology Among Latvian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- The prevalence of cognitive enhancers' usage among health college students and the factors associated with its use.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- Influence of different doses of caffeine consumption on stress levels among students enrolled in King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- Exploring the impact of coffee consumption and caffeine intake on cognitive performance in older adults: a comprehensive analysis using NHANES data and gene correlation analysis.Nutrition journal · 2025Article
- Longitudinal Effects of Lifetime Caffeine Consumption on Levels of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: A Comprehensive Review.Current nutrition reports · 2025Review
- Amphetamines: a current epidemic.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Prevalence and predictors of common psychoactive substances consumption among university students: the role of mental health and academic fields.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement Among International Medical Students: Assessing Study Habits as a Novel Factor.Medical science educator · 2024Article
- Substance use and its association with mental health among Swiss medical students: A cross-sectional study.The International journal of social psychiatry · 2024Article
- Factors influencing the use of natural health products, in particular for concentration and cognition in Germany.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2024Article
- Dietary and smoking habits during the exam period and their effect on the academic achievement among Syrian medical students.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Article
- Do Medical Universities Students Use Cognitive Enhancers while Learning?-Conclusions from the Study in Poland.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Stimulants have been used throughout human history for a variety of reasons. High levels of stress and the demanding nature of medical school make their usage among medical students particularly common. The most prevalent stimulant used by students is coffee, followed by tea and other forms of caffeine like sugary energy drinks. In addition, amphetamine-based medications for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been increasing in popularity, which many students take illicitly. Students report taking various forms of stimulants to promote cognitive enhancement, prolong wakefulness and retain focus for long periods of time. Moderate doses of caffeine and amphetamines would lead to enhanced alertness and concentration. However, large increases in dosage or frequency would lead to an increased risk of toxicity and adverse effects. The positive outcomes from stimulant consumption are often overshadowed by the negative side effects and incorrect dosage. Thus, it appears that usage of stimulants should be limited, in favor of a more sustainable approach to cognitive enhancement. This review analyzes the use of stimulants among the medical student community, consequences of misuse and discussed the healthy and organic approaches to lessen the stress and improve academic performance. This article also discusses the mechanisms of action, acceptable doses, additives, ingredients of stimulants commonly used by medical students for cognitive enhancement and the implications of long-term use as the stress of practicing medicine extends well beyond the medical school years.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.