Helps if you’re diagnosed by a physiatrist or psychologist with a disorder requiring the medication (eg ADHD).
Caffeine increases alertness, so it may be useful by temporarily decreasing need for sleep, but it doesn’t increase cognitive performance. Nicotine from non-tobacco sources may or may not boost cognitive performance; no consensus in the literature as of 2015 but some evidence to support improved cognitive performance post-nicotine in intellectually limited individuals. Despite media and hearsay portrayal of prescription CNS stimulants dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Vyvanse) and [dex]methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin) as strong enhancers of cognitive performance, no such supporting evidence exists, though some studies have demonstrated baseline-dependent increased rote learning and working memory performances, meaning the higher the baseline intellectual ability, the smaller the degree of cognitive enhancement.
