A review of its effects in schizophrenia suggests that modafinil facilitates cognitive functions , with pro-mnemonic effects and problem solving improvements .
The systematic review on the neurochemical modulation of the modafinil suggests that its mnemonic enhancing properties might be the result of glutamatergic and dopaminergic increased neuronal activation in the hippocampus and in the prefrontal cortex respectively .
Other neurotransmitters were also activated by modafinil in various limbic brain areas , suggesting that the drug acts on these brain regions to influence emotional responses .
Modafinil is a central nervous system wake promoting agent used for the treatment of excessive daytime sleeping .
Its vigilance promoting properties and low abuse potential has intrigued the scientific community and has led to use it as a cognitive enhancer , before its neural functions were understood .
Here , we review the effects of modafinil in human cognition and emotion and its specific actions on symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and whether these are consistently effective throughout the literature .
We also performed a systematic review on the effects of modafinil on neurotransmitter signalling in different areas of the brain in order to better underst and the neuromechanisms of its cognitive and emotional enhancing properties .
Effect of modafinil on fatigue, mood, and health-related quality of life in patients with narcolepsy
Introduction In addition to excessive sleepiness , patients with narcolepsy often have significant fatigue , depressed mood , and decreased quality of life . Objective To determine whether treatment with modafinil for excessive sleepiness improves fatigue , mood , and health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ) in patients with narcolepsy . Material s and methods Out patients with narcolepsy underwent a 14-day washout of psychostimulants and then were enrolled in this 6-week , open-label , multicenter study . Patients received modafinil starting at 200 mg once daily for week 1 , and then 200 or 400 mg daily for weeks 2 through 6 . Efficacy was evaluated using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey ( SF-36 ) and the Profile of Mood States ( POMS ) . Safety was assessed by monitoring adverse events ( AE ) . Results At baseline , 151 patients had moderate to severe excessive sleepiness ( mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score=17.8±4.4 ) . Most patients ( ≥70 % of 123 who completed the study ) received 400 mg modafinil once daily during weeks 2 through 6 . Modafinil significantly improved HRQOL , based on SF-36 measures of mental and physical component summary scores and subdomain scores of role-physical , social functioning , and vitality ( each P<0.001 ) . Modafinil treatment was also associated with significantly reduced fatigue and significantly improved vigor and cognition as assessed by the POMS ( each P<0.001 ) from weeks 1 through 6 . The most frequent AE with modafinil treatment were headache , nausea , and insomnia ; most AE were mild or moderate in nature . Only seven patients ( 5 % ) withdrew from the study because of AE . Conclusion In narcolepsy patients who were switched from psychostimulants , modafinil therapy improved HRQOL and subjective feelings of vigor and cognitive functioning and reduced fatigue
A review of its effects in schizophrenia suggests that modafinil facilitates cognitive functions , with pro-mnemonic effects and problem solving improvements .
The systematic review on the neurochemical modulation of the modafinil suggests that its mnemonic enhancing properties might be the result of glutamatergic and dopaminergic increased neuronal activation in the hippocampus and in the prefrontal cortex respectively .
Other neurotransmitters were also activated by modafinil in various limbic brain areas , suggesting that the drug acts on these brain regions to influence emotional responses .
Modafinil is a central nervous system wake promoting agent used for the treatment of excessive daytime sleeping .
Its vigilance promoting properties and low abuse potential has intrigued the scientific community and has led to use it as a cognitive enhancer , before its neural functions were understood .
Here , we review the effects of modafinil in human cognition and emotion and its specific actions on symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and whether these are consistently effective throughout the literature .
We also performed a systematic review on the effects of modafinil on neurotransmitter signalling in different areas of the brain in order to better underst and the neuromechanisms of its cognitive and emotional enhancing properties .