Smart pill that helps children through puberty

Richard Alleyne:

Teenagers could become smarter just by taking a pill that stimulates a part of the brain that controls learning and memory, scientists say.
Researchers claim to have discovered the brain receptor that dictates how much people can learn – especially during the all important puberty years – and armed with that knowledge they could develop a smart pill to help teenagers expand their minds.
The receptor called alpha4-beta-delta appears to slow down learning when teenagers hit puberty.
Instead of parents spending tens of thousands of pounds on private school fees, they could give their teenagers a regular dose of steroids to negate its effect, researchers say.
The brain receptor develops in the hippocampus, which controls learning and memory, when children hit puberty.
But researchers say giving children a steroid can stop the receptor and boost teenagers’ memory.

One thought on “Smart pill that helps children through puberty”

  1. “They also suggest that different strategies for learning and motivation may be helpful in middle school.” (Quotation from later in the article.) But why change strategies when we can mess with hormones and brain function and make more kids dependent on drugs? That’s a win-win-win situation – more money for the pharmaceutical industry, no need to improve educational strategies, and a new industry dealing with the long-term repercussions of a generation on steroids. (But what happens if you stop taking them?)

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