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 .
Effects of Modafinil on Wakefulness and Executive Function in Patients With Narcolepsy Experiencing Late-Day Sleepiness
Objectives : A modafinil daily dosing strategy promotes wakefulness in narcolepsy patients experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness ; however , some patients may continue to experience late-day sleepiness . Excessive sleepiness in narcolepsy is associated with cognitive impairment . Modafinil has improved executive function in other models of excessive sleepiness . This study evaluated the effects of once-daily vs. split doses of modafinil on wakefulness and of combined doses on executive function in narcolepsy patients experiencing late-day sleepiness despite satisfactory modafinil treatment earlier in the day . Methods : After a 2-week washout , 24 patients received 3 weeks of double-blind treatment with modafinil 400-mg once daily ( 7 AM ) plus placebo ( noon ) or modafinil 600-mg split dose ( 400 mg , 7 AM ; 200 mg , noon ) . Assessment s included a Maintenance of Wakefulness Test ( MWT ) for individual regimens and the Wisconsin Card Sort Test ( WCST ) for treatments combined . Results : Modafinil 600-mg split dose was significantly more effective than modafinil 400-mg once daily in improving late-day MWT scores ( 5 PM–7 PM ; P < 0.05 ) . Significant mean ( ± SEM ) reductions from baseline of 8.2 ± 2.7 in the total number of errors and 5.9 ± 1.9 in total percent of errors ( P < 0.05 , both ) were demonstrated for modafinil on the WCST . Modafinil was well tolerated ; adverse events included headache ( n = 1 ) , emotional lability ( n = 1 ) , bronchitis ( n = 1 ) , and accidental injury ( n = 2 ) , with no reports of insomnia . Conclusions : For patients with residual late-day sleepiness associated with narcolepsy , an additional 200-mg dose of modafinil taken at midday was effective in sustaining wakefulness throughout the entire waking day . Treatment with modafinil also significantly improved 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 .