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The use of the smart drug Modafinil for studying is becoming more common in academic communities. Interest in the drug has spiked due to reports that everyone from Wall Street bankers to Silicon Valley millionaires to White House staffers have used Modafinil (Provigil) to enhance their cognitive faculties and enable them to work for longer periods of time.
Is it safe to take Modafinil for memory, learning and other academic pursuits?
As is the case with a number of drugs, a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one purpose has the potential of providing other patient benefits. Even if the FDA has not approved it for those other purposes, doctors at their discretion can prescribe it for these “off-label” benefits.
All sorts of individuals have sought drugs and other substances to increase their memory and mental powers for thousands of years. Some healthcare professionals believe that modafinil for memory offers solid benefits that foster learning and recall.
Others believe the drug could have side effects related to tolerance and withdrawal. Some people are tempted to turn to cognition enhancers when coffee just isn’t enough.
Alertness
Mental Acuity
Focus- Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
- Promotes mental acuity & processing
- Enhances focus, motivation & energy
History and Uses of Modafinil (Provigil)
Related Topics
- What is Modafinil? (Provigil)
- How Does Provigil Work?
- Effects and Benefits
- User Reviews
- Typical Experiences
- Recommended Dosages
- How to Take
- Provigil Uses
- Use for ADHD
- Effects on Weight Loss
- Negative Side Effects
- Abuse Warnings & Dangers
- Comparison to Adrafinil
- Comparison to Armodafinil
- Comparison to Adderall
- Where to Buy
- Generic Modafinil Brands
- Is Modafinil Legal?
- How to Get Modafinil
- Review of Online Sources
Modafinil was created by a French professor named Michel Jouvet in the 1970s. Modafinil is the generic form of the brand name product – Provigil.
Used experimentally to treat narcolepsy in 1986, it was approved for use by adults in 1998 by the FDA for that disorder. As a wakefulness promoting agent, Modafinil continues to be used as a way to treat the excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.
Modafinil is also prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Others take the medication, which is sold in pill form, to treat shift work sleep disorder.
Since the FDA first approved this drug to treat narcolepsy, physicians have increasingly prescribed it off-label to address issues that include memory, attention span, multiple sclerosis, and depression.
Individuals without sleep disorders who seek the drug believe it improves many mental functions. Some students see it as a so-called “study drug” they seek to purchase to boost test scores and academic success.
Modafinil for Studying
While it is not officially indicated for these effects, evidence suggests that the medication dispensed as Provigil in healthy individuals may enhance cognition. Drugs that are cognition enhancers improve mental functions like attention, learning, language, memory, perception, making decisions, and planning.
The exact mechanism of action of modafinil is unknown. In research studies it has not been seen to act like a stimulant drug, and does not activate the sympathetic nervous system.
In various research studies, Modafinil has been seen to affect various hormone and neurotransmitter systems in the brain, including the catecholamines (i.e. Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine), Serotonin, GABA, and Glutamate.
A review from 2007 of previous studies found that in general Modafinil use showed cognitive enhancement specifically in the areas of working and episodic memory. Researchers from another review that analyzed 24 different studies done between 1990 and 2014 said the body of evidence suggested that Modafinil may affect higher cognitive and executive functions, especially when completing complex or difficult tasks.
A German clinical trial concluded that Provigil achieved “subtle” benefits for boosting memory. Much of the information suggesting that the drug creates major memory improvements has been passed along by word of mouth.
Modafinil appears to improve concentration and help a person stay focused on a task at hand. However, it apparently does not have a direct effect on the physiology of memory if the individual is not experiencing sleep deprivation.
For subjects who lack sufficient sleep or have poor memories, there appears to be a more marked improvement when considering modafinil for memory and learning activities. This is why many students try to acquire modafinil for studying for a big exam.
The strongest improvement occurs in short-term span for verbal memory. Studies suggest that some people show improved spatial planning and visual memory.
- Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
- Boosts mental performance and focus
- Supports memory and cognition
Research Into Modafinil’s Effects
An informal survey included 1,400 subjects who indicated that they had taken Provigil, Ritalin, or beta blockers to stimulate their memory, focus, or concentration.
Of this group, 44 percent had tried Provigil. Satisfied users either obtained the medication off-label via prescription or purchased it over the Internet.
Some small studies have concluded that modafinil actually slows a person down rather than increases cognitive abilities. One double-blind placebo-controlled study included 64 volunteers considered young and healthy. Half the subjects took modafinil. The remainder took a placebo. Afterward, all of them took tests for reading and sentence completion.
While the two sets of subjects had fairly equal results, it took those who were given modafinil slightly longer to answer the questions. This suggested that while the drug improves alertness in some people, that does not mean their performance is better.
Because of limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of the drug in treating memory issues associated with attention deficits, modafinil is considered an alternative treatment for conditions such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some people with ADHD who have been prescribed Adderall or Ritalin and had negative side effects may be interested in asking their doctor about prescribing Modafinil for this off-label use. More prescriptions are written for off-label modafinil uses in the United States than for on-label approved uses.
How Modafinil Affects Memory and Focus
Thus far, researchers have been unable to isolate exactly how this drug affects the brain functions involving cognitive processes.
The study of medications that interact with brain neurons regarding mood, behavior, thinking, and sensation is known as neuropharmacology. There has been considerable interest in studying modafinil and the brain.
While the exact mechinasm of action is still unknown, many researchers believe that the center of the drug’s activity falls in the subregions of the hippocampus, the central nucleus of the amygdala, and the thalamus’s centrolateral nucleus. A few animal studies suggest that modafinil has the capability to boost glutaminergic transmission in the hippocampus as well as the thalamus.
Unlike amphetamines and other stimulants that affect the central nervous system, modafinil’s effects do not seem to be mediated by the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Modafinil has been dubbed a nootropic drug. It is also known as a so-called smart drug. Such drugs increase a person’s attention, memory, learning abilities, and motivation. Advocates of all-label usage of the medication say it improves the performance of an individual who is fatigued and suffering from insufficient sleep.
How this medication works has not been researched to the extent that scientists are able to list all the factors that govern how it operates. Some research suggests that it affects learning and memory by changing the histamine levels in the central nervous system, resulting in elevated histamine and locomotor activity.
The use of modafinil for studying is doubly attractive to college students who believe it helps them intensely focus on academic tasks. It lets them sustain higher-than-normal cognitive levels while getting significantly less sleep. It is just one example of a medication designed to treat a disorder, then used by the healthy for other purposes.
Modafinil for Studying Side Effects and Dosage
There are no recommended dosages for taking Modafinil for studying, as this is an off-label usage. For prescribed conditions such as narcolepsy and shift work disorder, people often take 200 mg per day.
User reviews from people who take modafinil for other purposes often cite starting with a lower dosage around 100 mg, and then increasing their dosage to 200 mg per day as needed.
While some people may use Modafinil on a daily or regular basis, most people say they do not take it every day. Rather they just take a dose when they need it specifically for busy work days or studying for an exam.
For uses not related to sleep disorders, many people will take their dosage early in the day, as Modafinil causes wakefulness. Taking it later in the day too close to bedtime can cause insomnia.
Modafinil has been approved by the FDA as a drug for use in adults. Use in children has not been approved.
A study was done using a form of Modafinil named Sparlon for improving symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. A very serious skin and mucous membrane side effect known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome was potentially seen in a small percentage of the participants. Use in children has not been recommended since this time.
In adults, the most common side effects seen with Modafinil are anxiety, headaches, nausea, and nervousness. More rare and serious side effects include vomiting, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness, and severe skin blistering, peeling, and rash (may be a sign of Stevens-Johnson syndrome). See your doctor if you experience these side effects.
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Article last updated on: May 12th, 2018 by Nootriment