Mood Changes

Modafinil Australia is a wakefulness agent that has been shown to improve cognitive functioning and mood in various conditions associated with fatigue, including narcolepsy, fibromyalgia and shift work sleep disorder. It is believed to act on neurochemical systems involved in high-level cognitive processing and has a superior side effect profile compared to amphetamines, with fewer adverse effects such as cardiovascular disturbances. While mania is reported in individual case reports of psychiatric patients treated with modafinil, these events occur at a much lower rate than that seen in amphetamine-treated psychiatric patients (Randall and Feifel, 2006).

In one study, healthy volunteers who received modafinil for the treatment of narcolepsy experienced improved cognitive performance and subjective feelings of vigor compared to placebo subjects. They also had a greater improvement on positive mood scales and less negative mood states than placebo-treated subjects.

Another study found that modafinil increased mood and decreased depression in narcolepsy patients who were switched from psychostimulants. However, the researchers noted that the small sample size limited their ability to detect significant improvements on certain behavioral measures such as a letter-number span test and a CPT-IP task. Neuroimaging data indicated that modafinil enhanced activity in the prefrontal cortex during these tasks and reduced reactivity of the amygdala to threatening stimuli. Further studies are needed to determine which brain mechanisms underlie these mood-enhancing effects of modafinil.

Insomnia

Modafinil acts to improve wakefulness in the brain and has been shown to increase performance in various cognitive tasks. It does so by increasing brain levels of histamine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. It also acts to inhibit the reuptake of these chemicals, making them more readily available. In one trial, modafinil was shown to improve digit span and visual recognition, and improve the ability of people to recall information from memory, compared to a placebo. In another, it was shown to reduce impulsivity.

In addition, Modalert 200 Australia has been found to have a positive effect on narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. In a large randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study in patients with shift work sleep disorder, 200 mg of modafinil improved alertness as measured by the Psychomotor Vigilance Test. The drug also improved patient-estimated sleepiness and diminished the number of lapses in attention during nighttime testing, as well as the incidence of accidents or near-accidents on the drive home after a shift. In addition, the treatment was well tolerated, with headache as the most common adverse event.

Open-label extensions of this study have demonstrated that modafinil can reduce fatigue and excessive sleepiness in narcolepsy, and improve waking functioning and quality of life, even after discontinuation of medication. The treatment can also reduce daytime sleepiness and thereby enhance compliance with CBT for insomnia, though whether this enhanced adherence to therapy results in more effective treatment remains to be seen.

Fatigue

Many people with a variety of neurological and medical conditions experience significant fatigue that interferes with their daily functioning. Modafinil has been evaluated for the treatment of fatigue in a variety of conditions including multiple sclerosis, idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, polio, HIV infection, fibromyalgia, obstructive sleep apnea, and obstructive lung diseases (see Ballon and Feifel, 2006). In most of these studies, modafinil led to a significant reduction in fatigue as measured on the Patient Assessment of Fatigue Scale or the Comprehensive Clinical Index, with a few exceptions.

Modafinil has also been found to improve cognitive function in healthy volunteers undergoing shift work sleep disorder and in patients with narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. A single dose of modafinil administered to healthy adults following 85 hours of sleep deprivation significantly reduced errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and interference on the Stroop test compared to placebo. It was also found to reduce the latency of responses on the digit symbol substitution test and to increase the accuracy of correct answers on the arithmetic test compared to placebo.

Many white-collar workers use modafinil or its close relative, armodafinil, to stay alert and focused in the workplace, with reports of unwavering focus and powers of concentration that allow them to power through 14-hour workdays. However, there are concerns about the side effects of these drugs and they are Schedule IV controlled substances. Therefore, these employees may be at risk of abuse and should only take them under strict medical supervision.

Decreased Appetite

Modafinil can decrease appetite in some people, although this side effect is less commonly reported than the other symptoms listed here. This can be a good thing for some people, as it may help you lose weight or maintain your current weight. However, it’s important to use Modafinil only as directed by your doctor. Long-term usage can cause chemical imbalances in your body that lead to permanent changes in mood and can be damaging to your health.

One study investigated the effects of modafinil on dietary habits in healthy research participants during simulated shift work. Volunteers lived in a residential laboratory and were awakened on experimental days at either 0815 or 0015 (depending on the shift condition). After awakening, they received modafinil (0, 200, or 400 mg) or placebo 1 h after waking. Food intake was measured daily using a food box containing a variety of diet and non-diet beverages and a selection of frozen meal items. Modafinil produced dose-dependent reductions in total caloric intake, with the higher dose producing more pronounced decreases than the lower dose. Average daily intake of fat and carbohydrates also showed dose-dependent reductions with the 400-mg dose producing greater reductions than the 200-mg dose.

Another study analyzed the effects of modafinil on performance in a visual discrimination learning and delayed attention task in normal human subjects. The authors found that oral doses of modafinil from 8 to 64 mg/kg significantly increased the accuracy and speed of responses to rewarded stimuli, but did not affect omission errors or measures of motivation or motor activity.