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Drug for procrastinators

In the country of Prozac and Viagra, and one suffused with a deep belief in a maniacal work ethos, it is not unlikely to think about a drug that would make its recipients into workaholics, simply because that would increase their opportunities for a promotion, or just because some of us could really use that dedicated effort when dealing with exams and the like.

Some fortunate procrastinating primates not unlike us humans were given a drug (injected directly - drug delivery is going to be big soon) that interfered with their dopamine chemistry, making them unable to perceive the distance to their goal, and turning them into little maniacs, working hard and without rest.

'This new technique permits researchers to, in effect, measure the effects of a long-term, yet reversible, lesion of a single molecular mechanism,' said Richmond. 'This could lead to important discoveries that impact public health. In this case, it's worth noting that the ability to associate work with reward is disturbed in mental disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, so our finding of the pivotal role played by this gene and circuit may be of clinical interest,' suggested Richmond.
'For example, people who are depressed often feel nothing is worth the work. People with OCD work incessantly; even when they get rewarded they feel they must repeat the task. In mania, people will work feverishly for rewards that aren't worth the trouble to most of us.'

This is the link for the paper (PDF) on DNA targeting of rhinal cortex D2 receptor protein reversibly blocks learning of cues that predict reward .
Yeah, sure, whatever. Just make sure you can give it to college students a month before exams, or harried internet executives about to go IPO.

Again, think of that, Viagra, Prozac and this future drug (because it is coming out): a sex addict that never rests, an is continuously happy :)


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