Limitless: Valprioc acid allows brain to absorb new info as easily as it did before age 7

I've just had a look through the paper and there are a few concerns about it.

First - The sample size is very small, and of the original 24, six dropped out. There were a couple of results that appeared a little strange, such as the difference in effects when taking a placebo first, and that the effect of training on performance was minimal. It surely effects the validity of the results when only 18 completed the study.

Second - The study can only be attributed to brain plasticity regarding absolute pitch, so anyone thinking this drug will enhance overall cognitive ability are mistaken. The discussion mentions that no significant results were found in the cognitive assessments.

Third - There was no attempt in this study to ascertain the amount of time the drug has the effect on plasticity. So even if you wanted to gain a better pitch recognition, there is no evidence here of how long the effect would last, and no recommendation for dosage etc.

Basically this study opens up a lot of potential future studies by showing that some drugs may be able to enhance plasticity, it's an interesting study but nothing more until it's supported by larger sample sizes and more complex research.

reply to post by gardener


I wonder if this valprioc acid could offer beneficial results to people who suffer from dementia or alzheimer's like disease?

reply to post by unb3k44n7


Who would be crazy enough to want to learn like a seven year old anyway, I would rather be an adult. Seven year olds believe in Santa most times, and they are gullible. Maybe that is the intent of the people pushing this as a learning drug. Get people doped up and relinquish them of their money. At least they will think they are smarter, if you think you are getting smarter it doesn't mean you are. I never gained any musical ability when I was on that for my TLE. This is a mind altering drug that suppresses some liver functions. It is only for it's intended purpose. It may help some people, it just messed me up and made my seizures worse because it restricted some enzymes that I don't make much of naturally.

Rumors get started all the time. Provigil is a nootropic but that has side effects also. They were using that in the military to promote awakeness but it seems it may be causing some side effects later on. Of course those side effects are possibly being suppressed by those in charge of it's approval in that situation. Fish makes you smarter, so does fasting for a few days, something most people don't do much anymore.

Witness2008
reply to post by gardener

 

Valproic acid is found in Valerian.

A few drops of Valerian tincture in a cup of hot tea and a really good book will do wonders for your brain.

Ooooops, just re-read my post and discovered my error. The positive effects of Valproic acid can be found in Valerian root.

I agree with one of the other posters here who said when it comes to anti-depressants it’s basically a crap-shoot. There seems to be no consensus in the medical/psychological communities about the effectiveness of these drugs. For those who take them, and then report positive results (their depression was lessened), it’s still not clear how much of the improvement is due to the active ingredients in the drug, and how much of the improvement is due to a placebo effect.

About 15 years ago I was placed on an anti-depressant regiment for a time. I was having general feelings of depression, along with anxiety attacks. My doctor explained to me that not all patients respond the same to these medications. He came right out and told me it may be a hit and miss process until we determined which medication worked best for me. So, I ended up taking most of the popular anti-depressants at the time. I personally didn’t respond to any of them in a positive way. With the exception of one particular anti-depressant, I felt no difference one way or the other. One of them, however, sent me for a loop. My system did not like Zoloft, and my reaction to it was extreme. It caused a dramatic increase in my feelings of depression, frequent panic attacks, and even a full 2 week period during which I had a complete loss of memory. I swear, that 2 week period was wiped totally from my memory. I may have committed a series of axe murders, for all I know. It unnerves me thinking of it.

Anyway, I was taken off Zoloft, and before long just quit taking anti-depressants altogether. They seemed to have no affect in my case. Eventually I either quit having bouts with depression as severe as before, or just learned to live with it. I can’t say which for sure.

Bottom line is, back then you were just a guinea pig for their experimentation, and as far as I know, you still are.

i have intestinal problems.....i left my doctor because I did not feel he was acting in my best interests.....

new doctor, didn't even look at my notes, gave me drug induced epilepsy (venlafaxine)

7 MRI last year, 3 CAT scans.

on the crap you are talking about, it was like my brain had been switched off. I could read something, and have no idea what it was about.

As a hobby I have a 3D printer, been using it since 2009. Being on the crap you are talking about, I had to go back and read the instructions to use it and still couldn't follow them.

I definitely did not feel safe driving, cooking, and could light up a 3rd cigarette, with 2 still in the ashtray I had forgotten about..

Stay away from it.

OccamsRazor04

muzzleflash

tamusan
After starting Depakote, I also learned how to easily recognize musical notes by ear.

After getting on my Pepsi habit, I learned about quantum physics.
Pepsi must be good for Learning too ?

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Why couldn't it just be "human brains" are "capable" of learning naturally? And it just takes time for the brain to develop to be able to recognize them precisely ?

Have people been able to achieve the feat without taking the medication historically?

No, they haven't. It's considered impossible to learn perfect pitch if you do not do so as a child. Your brain alters to the point it is no longer capable of it.

As we grow older fear an anxiety shape our emotions...including the fear of disapproval, the fear that drives us to seek approval or to please others to fit in.

What is characteristic of children is a naive indifference to consequences. An unawareness of the need to fear so from this perspective perhaps what Valproic acid actually does is to neutralise that fear?

reply to post by MissMegs


Thanks for your post. I have been on Venlafaxine for three years and do find my concentration is appalling. My family went through earthly hell which lasted 7 years and one member is still suffering now which is why it was prescribed.

I have tried to cut down but although only on a low dosage now I don't feel well without it and am wondering whether to try something else to counteract against it and then leave the new one once the venalafaxine has worn off. I expect its something other members have found and any suggestions would be gratefully received.

|The thought that ran through my mind was great to get the brain back to capacity but would it also mean that I'd be heading for the long bumpy slide and throwing myself down it with glee. My wife held up her hands in horror as remarked 'dignity!' my only thought was yer right, if you had it we would all see the frillies as you sailed down. Think it might be a laugh and despite it all my lot do know how to have fun.