We found that whilst most studies employing basic testing paradigms show that modafinil intake enhances executive function , only half show improvements in attention and learning and memory , and a few even report impairments in divergent creative thinking .
In contrast , when more complex assessment s are used , modafinil appears to consistently engender enhancement of attention , executive functions , and learning .
Importantly , we did not observe any preponderances for side effects or mood changes .
Modafinil is an FDA -approved eugeroic that directly increases cortical catecholamine levels , indirectly upregulates cerebral serotonin , glutamate , orexin , and histamine levels , and indirectly decreases cerebral gamma-amino-butrytic acid levels .
In addition to its approved use treating excessive somnolence , modafinil is thought to be used widely off-prescription for cognitive enhancement .
However , despite this popularity , there has been little consensus on the extent and nature of the cognitive effects of modafinil in healthy , non-sleep-deprived humans .
The cognitive-enhancing properties of modafinil are limited in non-sleep-deprived middle-aged volunteers
Modafinil is a selective wakefulness-promoting agent that has been shown to enhance cognitive performance under conditions of sleep deprivation but which has equivocal effects in normal young volunteers . In a double-blind parallel group design study , 45 non-sleep-deprived middle-aged volunteers ( 20 men and 25 women , aged 50 - 67 years ) were r and omly allocated to receive two capsules containing placebo , 100 or 200 mg modafinil , and 3 h later they completed  100 mm visual analogue scales of mood and bodily symptoms  , before and after an extensive battery of cognitive tests [ pen and paper and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery ( CANTAB ) ] . There were no significant treatment-associated changes in ratings of mood or bodily symptoms and no significant effects on most of the cognitive tests used in this study . The group treated with modafinil ( 200 mg ) was significantly faster in a simple colour naming of dots and also significantly better in a test of constructional ability ( Clock Drawing Test ) compared with the placebo group . However , subjects in the 200-mg group also made significantly more total errors in the Intra/Extradimensional Set Shift ( ID/ED ) task than both the other groups . Thus , this study found limited evidence of cognitive-enhancing properties of modafinil in healthy middle-aged volunteers
We found that whilst most studies employing basic testing paradigms show that modafinil intake enhances executive function , only half show improvements in attention and learning and memory , and a few even report impairments in divergent creative thinking .
In contrast , when more complex assessment s are used , modafinil appears to consistently engender enhancement of attention , executive functions , and learning .
Importantly , we did not observe any preponderances for side effects or mood changes .
Modafinil is an FDA -approved eugeroic that directly increases cortical catecholamine levels , indirectly upregulates cerebral serotonin , glutamate , orexin , and histamine levels , and indirectly decreases cerebral gamma-amino-butrytic acid levels .
In addition to its approved use treating excessive somnolence , modafinil is thought to be used widely off-prescription for cognitive enhancement .
However , despite this popularity , there has been little consensus on the extent and nature of the cognitive effects of modafinil in healthy , non-sleep-deprived humans .