BACKGROUND Modafinil is a novel wake-promoting agent that has U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder and as adjunctive treatment of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Modafinil has a novel mechanism and is theorized to work in a localized manner, utilizing hypocretin, histamine, epinephrine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and glutamate. It is a...

Purpose: Modafinil is a vigilance-enhancing drug licensed for narcolepsy. The use of modafinil leads to various neuromodulatory effects with very low abuse potential. A body of evidence suggested that modafinil may have anti-parkinsonian effects. This study was designed to evaluate whether modafinil could improve motor dysfunction in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced rat model of Parkinson...

OBJECTIVES Modafinil is a waking drug prescribed to narcolepsy patients, but its usage among healthy individuals is increasing to enhance their alertness or to mitigate fatigue. This study was conducted to investigate practical use and toxic effects on neuro-immune interaction of modafinil. METHODS This study reviewed the significance of psychoactive drugs, and discussed the benefits and risk...

The results of two previous studies on the effects of modafinil, a selective wakefulness-promoting agent, in healthy university students were combined in a retrospective analysis. This allowed determination of whether the effects of modafinil were dependent on IQ and whether the larger sample size (n=89) would reveal more cognitive benefits. A battery of cognitive tests was completed 2-3 h afte...

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effects of modafinil, a wake-promoting agent, on patient functioning, health-related quality of life, and nighttime and daytime sleep in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD). METHOD A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed at 31 centers in the United States between February 2001 and Ma...

Editor's Note: These short, critical reviews of recent papers in the Journal, written exclusively by graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, are intended to summarize the important findings of the paper and provide additional insight and commentary. For more information on the format and purpose of the Journal Club, please see Modafinil (2-[(diphenylmethyl) sulfinyl] acetamide; United States...

Modafinil, a novel compound for treating excessive sleepiness, potently increases wakefulness in laboratory rodents, cats, monkeys and humans. Although its mechanism of action is unknown, modafinil appears to be unlike classic stimulants. We investigated this generality by testing the selectivity of this compound for wake-promoting effects (e.g., relative to locomotor effects) and homeostatic s...

Modafinil, in its two clinical formulations (Provigil(®) and Nuvigil(®)), is a widely prescribed wake-promoting therapeutic agent. It binds competitively to the cell-membrane dopamine (DA) transporter and is dependent on catecholaminergic (dopaminergic and adrenergic) signaling for its wake-promoting effects. The clinical spectrum of effects for modafinil is distinct from the effects seen with ...

Modafinil is a novel stimulant approved by the FDA for use in the management of excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy. Utility for other indications includes attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and management of cocaine dependence. To investigate the pharmacokinetics of modafinil in these patients, the authors improved and validated an HPLC method to separate ...

BACKGROUND Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and fatigue are common symptoms after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but there is no specific treatment for affected patients. With this pilot study, we aimed at studying the effect of daily modafinil on posttraumatic EDS and fatigue. METHODS We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study in 20 patients with TB...