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 .
Modafinil improves alertness, vigilance, and executive function during simulated night shifts.
STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of 200 mg of modafinil compared to placebo on alertness , neurobehavioral performance , and executive function during 4 consecutive simulated night shifts . DESIGN Double-blind , r and omized , parallel groups . SETTING Sleep research facility . PARTICIPANTS 32 male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 years . INTERVENTIONS 200 mg of modafinil or placebo given nightly on the 4 consecutive simulated night shifts . MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Subjects were r and omly assigned to 1 of the 2 treatment conditions , following medical , psychiatric , and polysomnographic screening . On 4 consecutive nights , subjects took study drug at 2200 , and then from about 2300 to 0730 participated in a simulated night shift that included the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test , Psychomotor Vigilance Test , Digit Symbol Substitution Test , measures of subjective alertness , and multiple executive-function measures . At 0800 , daytime sleep periods were recorded polysomnographically for 6 to 8 hours . Alertness -- as measured by the MWT , vigilance and reaction time as indexed by Psychomotor Vigilance Test lapses , and slowest 10 % of reaction times-- and 3 executive-function tasks showed significant enhancement with modafinil versus placebo .  Subjective sleepiness at night and some performance measures did not show consistent treatment differences . Daytime sleep showed minimal differences between conditions . CONCLUSIONS The physiologic sleepiness and neurobehavioral deficits that occurred during the hours of a typical night shift were clearly attenuated by modafinil . Modafinil also had beneficial effects on some measures of executive function
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 .