cholinesterase inhibitors--anyone ever heard of this?

[Phaedrus]

Researchers have also found that pilots taking cholinesterase inhibitors perform better on complex maneuvers. Again which airline would you rather fly—one whose pilots rely on their native abilities or one whose pilots' abilities to cope with emergencies are enhanced with cholinesterase inhibitors?

[font=verdana,][size=-1]ENHANCING NORMAL COGNITION
Thirty years ago, cholinesterase inhibitors were tested in normal individuals. But bad side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, made them acceptable only for patients with disease, though side effects have since lessened somewhat. One more recent study demonstrated the significant, positive effects of cholinesterase inhibitors, specifically one called donepezil, in normal, middle-aged private airplane pilots.1 This drug is frequently prescribed for patients with Alzheimer disease. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, investigators compared the flight simulator performance of nine normal pilots on placebo with that of nine normal pilots on donepezil. After 30 days of treatment, the latter group performed better on a set of complex simulator tasks. Senior investigator Peter J. Whitehouse, professor of neurology, Case Western Reserve University, says his group now plans to do tests with galantamine in normal persons; galantamine is the most recently approved drug for treating Alzheimer disease.

I guess if you have plenty of airsick sacks you can be a better stick!
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[N1atEcon]

I had some buddies who crop dusted and they would get annual blood work done for this. Once you hit a certain amount of it in your system you had to stop working those chemicals. If I remember correctly it stops the nerve impulse from jumping from each piont of contact in your Central neurvous system. It was a synapse inhibitor. That is great if your a corn borer but not so good for a pilot.