Modafinil Science
In "Sleep, Waking, and Neurobehavioral Performance", published
in Frontiers in Bioscience, Naomi L. Rogers, Jillian Dorrian,
and David F. Dinges reported that modafinil shows fewer adverse side effects
than stimulants like amphetamines. These negative consequences of amphetamines
include bodily agitation and trouble sleeping when the patient is allowed
to sleep. The authors admit that scientists still do not understand the
mechanism of modafinil inside the body. Even after years of clinical use
by thousands of patients, that appears to still be true.
Studies have shown that the Provigil
improves reaction time in sleep-deprived people. It also enables people
to perform better on tests of neurological behavior, including grammatical
reasoning and visual search. Many of these tests were done in simulated
military combat situations, and the test patients report feeling less
sleepy when they have taken the drug.
One aspect of studies like these is that there is both an objective and
a subjective component to cognitive performance, and both are measured
in sleep studies. modafinil appears to improve wakefulness in both components.
Compared to amphetamines, modafinil results in less of a disturbance in
sleep during the “rebound” period after the drug wears off
and the person resumes natural sleep. The duration of required recovery
sleep is also less. Negative effects of the drug include decreased efficiency
of communication, and possibly subjective estimates of cognitive ability
(by the person on the drug.)
Neuroscience research suggests that modafinil affects
"gap junctions" between neurons. The electric aspects of
the brain are still being determined.
Provigil’s full name is 2-[(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl] acetamide.
Molecular formula is C15H15NO2S.
Modafinil’s mechanism of action is undetermined, although it is
known to be different from that of central nervous system stimulants.
It does not act as a direct or indirect dopamine receptor agonist. It
does not bind to receptors for dopamine, serotonin, GABA, or norepinephrine
uptake. It does not appear to alter the release of dopamine or norepinephrine,
it may exert its stimulant effects by decreasing GABA-mediated neurotransmission.
New
research from South Korea shows that in narcoleptic patients, modafinil
use increases cerebral blood flow in the bilateral prefrontal cortices
and decreases blood flow in the left mesio/basal, temporal, bilateral
occipital areas, and in the cerebellum. Studies suggest that an intact
central alpha-adrenergic system is required for modafinil's activity.
Mechanism of Provigil
in the body
Provigil has a safer
side-effect profile than other psychostimulants
