When you take a pill called Viagra, you might not expect much to happen. You’re probably thinking about buying it for a wedding present for your friend, or to help with your personal life problems. But there’s so much more to it than you’d think!
Viagra is a popular drug that has been used for many years to treat erectile dysfunction. But did you know that it can also improve your reaction time and cognitive function?
In fact, recent studies have shown that Viagra improves a range of mental and physical capabilities in men and women alike. While there’s no denying that Viagra can help with your sex life (it’s often described as a ‘love pill’), it’s also become a popular drug for longer-lasting mental performance boosts.
But how does Viagra work?
Viagra is a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor. This type of medication works by increasing the concentration of the neurotransmitter cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) inside the brain. This, in turn, has several beneficial effects on the body, including increased mental acuity and reaction time in patients with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
For these patients, it also helps to improve their sleep quality and quantity, and even the texture and smell of their dreams!
So, if you’re looking for a way to improve your mental performance, why not give Viagra a go?
How Does Viagra Affect Reaction Time?
To investigate how Viagra affects reaction time, researchers at Boston University compared the performance of subjects taking Viagra to that of a placebo group. They tested the participants’ response time to a range of visual and auditory stimuli, as well as their performance on a continuous reaction time (CRT) task. All of this while they were under continuous neurophysiological monitoring.
The results of their study, published in September 2018 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, showed that on average, subjects taking Viagra had improved reaction time in all conditions, and that this improvement was sustained throughout the monitoring period. Moreover, this group also showed increased vigilance, suggesting that they had improved overall cognitive function.
What’s more, in some cases, the improvement in reaction time was so significant that it could be considered ‘clinically relevant’. The study authors comment that while the benefits of Viagra in normal use are well known, its exact mode of action is not yet fully understood. This makes it all the more interesting to study, especially since it has such significant and widespread effects in older adults!
In another study, published in May 2019 in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bristol examined the effects of Viagra on older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants in the study were administered either 200 mg of Viagra or a placebo three times per day for six weeks. In order to test their cognitive function, the researchers used a standard battery of tasks including the CRT test. At the end of the study, the participants showed significant improvements in both reaction time and accuracy, which the researchers attributed to their intake of Viagra.
Although this study only included older adults with mild cognitive impairment, the results suggested that Viagra has the potential to improve the cognitive function of patients with a wide range of neurological disorders. This includes those with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as traumatic brain injury, which can cause attention problems (such as ADHD) and impair memory and learning ability. Moreover, since many of these diseases also involve impaired neurotransmitter function, it is feasible that Viagra could have beneficial effects by acting directly on the brain.
The safety of Viagra has been examined in several randomized, placebo-controlled trials. In one such trial, involving over 500 patients, those taking Viagra had a lower rate of heart attack and stroke than the placebo group. This led to Viagra being listed as a class B drug (considered potentially safer than class A drugs) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration back in 2007. Since then, many more studies have confirmed these initial findings, and now it’s commonly agreed that there’s no significant risk associated with taking Viagra. Even so, it’s still considered as having a ‘black box’ rating in Australia because of its potential to cause sudden death in patients with heart problems.
Is There A Limit To How Long Viagra Can Improve Reaction Time?
While most studies have shown that Viagra can improve reaction time in older adults, there are also cases where the effect has been shown to last only briefly. In one trial involving 38 participants with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those taking the drug had significantly increased reaction time at one week, but not at six weeks, after the trial had ended. The results of this trial suggest that the effects of Viagra in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and MCI may not be long-lasting, and that additional trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm this. Furthermore, this study was only able to examine the acute effect of Viagra, and it did not compare this with the long-term effects of the drug.
What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Taking Viagra?
The most common side effects of Viagra are headaches, dizziness, and vision problems. These can often be managed by taking the drug at lower doses or switching to an alternative medication. But there are more serious side effects that can occur, including anxiety, nausea, and diarrhea. If you experience any of these side effects, you should consult your doctor so that they can put your mind at ease. Moreover, if you’re taking the drug for the first time, you should start off on a low dose and work your way up until you reach your desired dose. This will help avoid any potentially serious side effects.
It’s also worth noting that while many people experience benefits from taking Viagra, this does not mean that it’s right for everyone. Just like with any other drug, there are people who will experience negative side effects from it. And just like with any other drug, it will be important to try and find the right dose for each individual, so that they can enjoy the benefits without risking their health in any way.
How Does Viagra Stack Up Against Other Drugs Used To Boost Cognitive Function?
Since its approval for use in the U.S. in 2006, many doctors and patients have turned to Viagra as a safer and more effective alternative to treat cognitive dysfunction in the aging population. But how does it compare to other popular drugs used for this purpose?
According to an analysis of published studies by U.S. News & World Report, compared to other FDA-approved treatments, including Aricept and Artane, which are used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Viagra has a very positive safety profile and is also a more cost-effective treatment. Moreover, the drug is highly customizable, and it is available in a wide range of doses, from 50 mg to 100 mg. This makes it much easier for physicians to control the exact effects of the pill for each individual patient.
For these reasons, and because it has been clinically shown to be safe and effective for use in older adults, Viagra is rapidly becoming the gold standard among doctors for treating cognitive dysfunction. Moreover, since it is a relatively inexpensive medication, with no significant side effects, it is sure to remain a popular choice for many years to come.
So, if you’re looking to improve your mental performance, there are many reasons why you might consider trying out Viagra. Not only does it have a proven track record of efficacy, but it is also a highly safe and tolerable medication that has been shown to boost a range of mental faculties in men and women alike. This makes it an interesting option for physicians to experiment with, especially since this medication has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as those with MCI.