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 Pharmacological Enhancement on the Cognitive and Clinical Psychomotor Performance of Sleep-Deprived Doctors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Objectives : To investigate the effect of modafinil 200 mg on the performance of a cohort of healthy male doctors after 1 night of supervised sleep deprivation . Summary Background Data : Sleep-deprived and fatigued doctors pose a safety risk to themselves and their patients . Yet , because of the around-the-clock nature of medical practice , doctors frequently care for patients after periods of extended wakefulness or during circadian troughs . Studies suggest that a group of substances may be capable of safely and effectively reversing the effects of fatigue . However , little work has been done to investigate their role within our profession . Methods : We conducted a parallel , double-blind , r and omized , and placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of pharmacological enhancement on performance doctors . Thirty-nine healthy male resident doctors received either lactose placebo ( n = 19 ) or modafinil 200 mg ( n = 20 ) after 1 night of sleep deprivation . A selection of CANTAB neuropsychological tests was used to assess higher cognitive function . Clinical psychomotor performance was assessed using the Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer Virtual Reality . Assessment s were carried out between 6.00 AM and approximately 8.00 AM . Results : Modafinil improved performance on tests of higher cognitive function ; participants in the modafinil group worked more efficiently when solving working memory ( F 1,38 = 5.24 , P = 0.028 ) and planning ( F 1,38 = 4.34 , P = 0.04 ) problems , were less-impulsive decision makers ( F 1,37 = 6.76 , P = 0.01 ) , and were more able to flexibly redirect their attention ( F 1,38 = 4.64 , P = 0.038 ) . In contrast , no improvement was seen in tests of clinical psychomotor performance . Conclusions : Our results suggest that fatigued doctors might benefit from pharmacological enhancement in situations that require efficient information processing , flexible thinking , and decision making under time pressure . However , no improvement is likely to be seen in the performance of basic procedural tasks
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 .