Question 331 of 433
Do “smart drugs” like modafinil help a healthy brain?
The short answer
Modafinil keeps a tired person awake. It does not make a rested person smarter, and it does not replace sleep.
It is approved for narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and sleepiness from sleep apnea. In healthy, rested people the effect on thinking is small. It raises heart rate and blood pressure, can cause anxiety and insomnia, interacts with birth control pills, and rarely causes a severe rash. If you feel you need it to function, the question to answer is why you are so tired.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
LIMITED HUMAN EVIDENCE — Healthy rested adults: modafinil cognitive benefits are uncertain; wakefulness is not restoration.Evidence grade (draft mapping)BLimited or small human studiesPart 22, Q331 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.