Conditions: Malignant Glioma
Keywords: armodafinil Nuvigil fatigue
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 81
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research study is to determine if armodafinil is safe and effective in treating fatigue in patients with malignant gliomas undergoing treatment with radiotherapy plus temodar. Armodafinil is a wakefulness-promoting agent that has been FDA approved for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness for a variety of disorders. Armodafinil may also help to reduce radiation-induced fatigue in brain tumor patients.

Detailed description:
* Since no one knows for certain if armodafinil improves fatigue in brain tumor patients undergoing radiation therapy, participants will be randomized into one of two study groups. Half of the participants will receive armodafinil and the other half will receive pills with no medicine (placebo). Neither the participant or the study doctor will know what group they are in.
* Participants will be given a study medication-dosing calendar and will take either the study drug or placebo orally once a day for 8 weeks. The dose will be adjusted on days 8,22 or 43, depending upon the level of fatigue. Treatment will begin within 10 days from the radiation start date.
* Participants will be evaluated via documented clinician telephone call and self-administered questionnaires on days 1, 8, 22, 43 and 57.

Arms:
arm 1: Armodafinil arm 2: Placebo

Interventions: intervention 1: Armodafinil intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Taken orally once a day in the morning. Dose will change depending upon level of fatigue intervention 2: Placebo taken once a day in the morning

Protocol document: