Researchers compared how well modafinil and placebo worked in healthy sleep-deprived adults using basic tests of cognition. They found that while simple tests improved, it was on more complex tasks that the drug shined.

What do you do?

Modafinil, an FDA-approved eugeroic that directly increases cortical catecholamine levels and indirectly upregulates cerebral serotonin, glutamate, orexin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, appears to have cognitive-enhancing effects in healthy non-sleep deprived populations. But, the benefits differ depending on the type of task used to assess cognition and its duration.

A recent systematic review by Oxford University and Harvard researchers Ruairidh Battleday and Anna-Katherine Brem analyzed 24 studies on cognitive neuroenhancement in healthy non-sleep privileged individuals.

It found that buy modafinil online was most effective in enhancing attention, executive functioning, and memory in tasks that required planning or decision-making. It also improved a task that relied on a short-term and long-term memory as well as cognitive flexibility but was less beneficial in complex learning and creativity tasks.

Unlike other substances that boost alertness, such as caffeine and nicotine (which have been around for hundreds of years and have serious side effects), modafinil is relatively safe and has minimal dependence potential. But, the pill is still a Schedule IV controlled substance that can be abused, and long-term use of it hasn’t been studied.

Regardless, some people have found that the drug is a powerful tool to power through work pressures. But, is it worth sacrificing your health to meet deadlines? Instead, why not try to change the way you think about work and get more sleep?

How do you do it?

Modafinil is a pharmaceutical drug (2-[(phenylmethyl) sulfinyl] acetamide) that is used to treat sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. It can also be used with breathing devices to help people with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) who have trouble sleeping during the daytime and need supplemental sleep to maintain normal functioning.

It is also being used by white-collar workers as a cognitive enhancer to improve concentration and boost productivity. Many people use it to power through long work days without sleep. Online blogs glow with tales of unwavering focus and superhuman levels of concentration. But experts aren’t sure how long-term modafinil use affects the brain.

Some worry it will lead to chronic sleep deprivation and future problems with getting enough rest and can suppress emotions or make users more antisocial. In addition, long-term use can cause life-threatening rashes like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions.

Studies have shown that modafinil ( Modalert 200 Australia )can increase alertness in people who are sleep deprived, but it is not clear how well it helps other healthy people. It has been found to improve planning, decision-making, and the flexibility of thought in some studies, but not learning or memory. It may help reduce negative symptoms in some people with schizophrenia, although the effect is modest and does not last very long.

What do you like about it?

Modafinil, which has been used since 1998 to treat sleep disorders including narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea, is the answer to many overworked executives' prayers. It is a eugeroic drug (wakefulness-promoting) that heightens alertness, much like caffeine, without the negative side effects of caffeine.

Modafinil has also been shown to improve cognitive function, according to a study published in Neuropsychopharmacology. The researchers found that modafinil improved higher-order thinking skills such as planning, decision-making, and learning. However, the drug didn't improve working memory or the ability to understand other points of view.

Although modafinil is FDA-approved to treat narcolepsy, it is widely used off-label for "cognitive enhancement." Previous studies have found that single doses of modafinil can increase efficiency and decrease errors on cognitive tests in people who are sleep deprived. But little attention and a scientific consensus have been focused on the effects of modafinil on cognition in healthy non-sleep-deprived individuals.

While several studies have suggested that Modafinil increases cognitive functions, the research has been limited and often contradictory. Additionally, a few cases of life-threatening rash have been linked to the drug's use. So, while it's tempting to take a pill to boost your brainpower, be careful and consult with your doctor. The most dangerous reaction to the drug is a severe skin rash called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

What do you dislike about it?

Modafinil is a controlled drug used to treat narcolepsy (excessive sleepiness), but it is increasingly taken by healthy people to enhance their performance in work or lifestyle contexts. While it does improve alertness in sleep-deprived people, it is unclear whether it makes you any smarter – or even better at the tasks you’re doing.

Some studies have found that modafinil boosts performance on a test of simple arithmetic, the Pauli Test (Cooper et al, 2007). This is in line with earlier research that showed that a single dose can improve performance by up to 40% in sleep-deprived people on the digit span task, indicating that it improves prefrontal brain activity associated with the cognitive process.

However, other studies have failed to find similar effects in non-sleep-deprived people. This may be because the studies have largely involved students who are likely to have a high IQ, meaning that they would already be performing at the highest level possible on such tests and therefore are not expected to improve further (Randall et al, 2004).

Furthermore, long-term use of Modafinil can increase the risk of serious health problems. This includes a potentially life-threatening reaction called DRESS, or drug-induced rash hypersensitivity syndrome. It can be very hard to diagnose and is often misdiagnosed as a common skin rash or allergy, so anyone who gets a rash with Modafinil should seek medical attention immediately.