Day 2 - Test results and summary

Day 2 - Test results

Scores via
Cambridge Brain Sciences

Spatial Span

7,5,6,6,6

Avg: 6  (down 12%)  Max: 7  (same)

Monkey Ladder  

8,8,9,9,9

Avg score: 8.6 (up 5%)  Max: 9 (same)

Paired Associates

6,6,6,5,6

Avg score: 5.8 (up 3%)  Max: 6 (same)

Object Reasoning
39,23,40,54,57

Avg: 42.6 (down 1%) Max: 57 (up 7%)

Odd One Out

13,14,14,15,15

Avg score: 14.2 (up 8%)  Max: 15 (down 6%)

Polygons

75,78,68,102,96 

Avg score: 83.8 (up 21%)   Max: 102  (up 24%)

Spatial Search

9,8,9,6,9

Avg score: 8.2 (down 7%)  Max: 9 (down 10%) 

Summary:

No greater than a 10% variance between testing results with exception of the polygon test, most results actually dropping from day 1.  I'm not sure why I scored so highly on the last two attempts of the polygon test, but I did notice less distraction from noise...I don't recall hearing any passing cars outside.  Either there were none, or I tuned them out.

Day 1 - Test results

Scores via
Cambridge Brain Sciences

Spatial Span
7,6,7,7,7

Avg: 6.8  Max: 7

Monkey Ladder  

8,7,9,9,8

Avg score: 8.2  Max: 9

Paired Associates

5,6,5,6,6

Avg score: 5.6  Max: 6

Object Reasoning
39,53,37,42,45

Avg: 43.2  Max: 53

Odd One Out

13,12,16,11,13

Avg score: 13  Max: 16

Polygons

54,75,72,78,60

Avg score: 67.8  Max: 78

Spatial Search

10,9,8,8,9

Avg score: 8.8  Max: 10

Testing methods

For mental testing, I am going to use Cambridge Brain Sciences

I originally started taking the tests on that site months ago.    The test categories are memory, reasoning, concentration, and planning.  

The memory suite contains four tests: Spatial Span, Monkey Ladder, Digit Span, and Paired Associates

The reasoning suite contains four tests: Double Trouble, Grammatical Reasoning, Object Reasoning, and Odd One Out

The concentration suite contains three tests:  Rotations, Feature Match, and Polygons

The planing suite contains three tests: Hampshire Tree Task, Spatial Search, and Spatial Slider


The tests I will focus on:  Spatial Span, Monkey Ladder, Paired Associates, Object Reasoning, Odd One Out, Polygons, Spatial Search

The reason I selected these tests is that after multiple attempts (10 attempts each), the scores on these have never placed me above 65th percentile (top 35% of test takers), where all the other tests have exceeded that percentile.  

An interesting side note.  On the Rotations test in the concentration suite, I scored in the 99th percentile...on Polygons I scored in the 14th percentile.  Brains are funny.

For the control, I will complete each test five times for two consecutive days without the use of racetams.  I will then post score average along with max score achieved for each test for each day.

Next, I will take 750mg aniracetam and 250mg CDP choline one hour prior to completing each test five times for five consecutive days.  Same methods of posting results.

Next, I will take 300mg pramiracetam and 250mg CDP choline following the same methods.

Next I will take 750mg aniracetam, 300mg pramiracetam, and 250mg CDP choline following the same methods.

I will then discontinue use of racetams for five days, and re-test with control methods.

A personal study on the effects of nootropics

Welcome!

My research on this subject originally began in the search to discover an alternative to the ADD medication Adderall.  I was diagnosed with ADD around my teens, but avoided pharmacological treatment (based on the research I did at the time regarding amphetamines addictive, kidney, and liver damaging potential, not to mention general over-diagnosis/medication). 

Throughout my life I've learned to "deal" with being absent-minded, easily distracted, finishing basic tasks, etc. etc.  Sometimes I've felt it has actually benefited me...a short attention span when reading online news sources for instance, allows me absorb a LOT of information on a plethora of topics much faster than the average person.  I have used this trait to my advantage in discussions, work, skill-building, and many other random nameless instances.

So that's the good part.

MOST of the times I can't ignore the fact that it has caused strain on most all aspects of my life. I struggled throughout high school (and dropped out of every college class I tried) as a result of my inability to focus consistently on one specific thing...teachers lecturing, current assignment, homework no matter how basic it was.  Really the only reason I graduated was that I'm lucky to have a relatively decent level of natural intelligence, so I could basically short-term memorize book material 5-10min before a quiz or test and ace it.  Problem is, getting good test scores and Fs or "Non-Complete" on everything else makes you look like a slacker in the eyes of educational administration...not a great source of sympathy there!

From beyond education, my relationships both personal and career related have been stunted.  Poor multi-tasking, active listening, and general communication are always a constant battle.

So fast-forward.  I'm now 31.  No degree, no career, a rocky relationship, a couple friends and family I don't see too often.  Jack of many trades (sales, IT, car repair, music, martial arts, management, DIY, photography, random info sponge, etc.) and master of forgetting what I was supposed to be doing.  It's taken me THREE days to get to this point in writing this!!

Something needs to change.

Back to the adderall.  I tried it once a few years ago...a friend at the time had a prescription and gave me 5 15mg pills to try over the course of the week.  Hyperfocus on specific things was the result.  I could for instance, work on a piece of music, write the melody and lyrics, record and play all the instruments needed, mix it all down, and burn a mastered copy in about an 18hr span.  The same amount of work would normally take 5-10 days to accomplish along with sticky notes throughout my residence reminding me what I was supposed to do next.

The problems associated: extreme irritability and ironically, hyperfocus.  ANYTHING would piss me off if it wasn't relevant to what I was doing at the time, and doing one thing for an extended time span (recording music for 18hrs) and NOTHING else (eating, sleeping, showering, taking a piss, etc.) disables your ability to continue living healthily.

So adderall...effective, but not for regular use.  A couple weeks ago, I remembered I had done all this before and started searching for alternative options.  This is how I discovered racetam nootropics.

From here on, I will be posting about two specific racetam drugs, aniracetam and pramiracetam.  I will record both general observation during intake of each, along with a battery of mental tests.