Abstract
The performance- and alertness-sustaining/restoring effects of modafinil during sleep deprivation in normal, healthy adults were reviewed. Results indicate that modafinil is efficacious for sustaining/restoring objective performance and alertness during sleep deprivation with few adverse effects. At appropriate dosages, modafinil restores performance and alertness to non-sleep deprived levels. Modafinil also impairs post-sleep deprivation recovery sleep, but from the few studies available addressing this issue, it is unclear whether these sleep impairments translate into post-sleep performance impairments. Further research is needed to determine whether modafinil restores performance on simple cognitive tasks only or whether modafinil additionally restores executive functions (e.g., abstract thought, critical reasoning, planning, decision-making, situational awareness, and effective judgment) which are critical in most modern operational settings. In addition, studies are needed to determine whether modafinil use during sleep deprivation is preferable to that of other available controlled stimulants (such as dextroamphetamine) or non-controlled stimulants (such as caffeine). Such studies would be comprised of direct, head-to-head comparisons among various stimulants across a range of dosages.
Keywords: Stimulants, modafinil, sleep deprivation, reaction time, alertness, executive function
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Effects of Modafinil on Cognitive Performance and Alertness During Sleep Deprivation
Volume: 12 Issue: 20
Author(s): Nancy J. Wesensten
Affiliation:
Keywords: Stimulants, modafinil, sleep deprivation, reaction time, alertness, executive function
Abstract: The performance- and alertness-sustaining/restoring effects of modafinil during sleep deprivation in normal, healthy adults were reviewed. Results indicate that modafinil is efficacious for sustaining/restoring objective performance and alertness during sleep deprivation with few adverse effects. At appropriate dosages, modafinil restores performance and alertness to non-sleep deprived levels. Modafinil also impairs post-sleep deprivation recovery sleep, but from the few studies available addressing this issue, it is unclear whether these sleep impairments translate into post-sleep performance impairments. Further research is needed to determine whether modafinil restores performance on simple cognitive tasks only or whether modafinil additionally restores executive functions (e.g., abstract thought, critical reasoning, planning, decision-making, situational awareness, and effective judgment) which are critical in most modern operational settings. In addition, studies are needed to determine whether modafinil use during sleep deprivation is preferable to that of other available controlled stimulants (such as dextroamphetamine) or non-controlled stimulants (such as caffeine). Such studies would be comprised of direct, head-to-head comparisons among various stimulants across a range of dosages.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Wesensten J. Nancy, Effects of Modafinil on Cognitive Performance and Alertness During Sleep Deprivation, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2006; 12 (20) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161206777698819
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161206777698819 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Statins, Mevalonate Pathway and its Intermediate Products in Placental Development and Preeclampsia
Current Molecular Pharmacology Toxics of Tobacco Smoke and Cardiovascular System: From Functional to Cellular Damage
Current Pharmaceutical Design Protective Effects of Anesthetics on Vascular Function Related to K<sup>+</sup> Channels
Current Pharmaceutical Design Protein-based Strategies of Molecular Therapy in Allergy
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents Total Wrist Arthroplasty: New Perspectives
Current Rheumatology Reviews Docking Studies of Glutamine Valproic Acid Derivative (S)-5- amino-2-(heptan-4-ylamino)-5-oxopentanoic Acid (Gln-VPA) on HDAC8 with Biological Evaluation in HeLa Cells
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Food Selectivity, Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Urine Organic Acids in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study
Current Nutrition & Food Science In Silico Prediction of Adverse Drug Reactions and Toxicities Based on Structural, Biological and Clinical Data
Current Drug Safety Systemic and Biophase Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics of Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems
Current Drug Delivery Insulin Like Growth Factor-I: A Critical Mediator of the Skeletal Response to Parathyroid Hormone
Current Molecular Pharmacology The Immune System of Cancer Patients
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Role of Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein (BPI) in Sepsis and Liver Cirrhosis, and Its Clinical Implications
Anti-Infective Agents Chirality - A New Era of Therapeutics
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Pharmacological Evaluation of Jambrushila Tablet on Animal Model of Type-2 Diabetes
The Natural Products Journal Biologics: An Update and Challenge of Their Pharmacokinetics
Current Drug Metabolism Getting Rid of Intracellular Aβ - Loss of Cellular Degradation Leads to Transfer Between Connected Neurons
Current Pharmaceutical Design Use of Alternative Animals as Asthma Models
Current Drug Targets A QSAR Study of HIV Protease Inhibitors Using Theoretical Descriptors
Current Computer-Aided Drug Design Biology and Pharmacology of the Platelet P2Y12 Receptor
Current Pharmaceutical Design Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review of the Disease State, Current Therapeutics and their Molecular Mechanisms of Action
Current Medicinal Chemistry