Provigil may aid cocaine addicts
The hottest topic in cocaine addiction is another drug – a medicine already sold to wake up narcoleptics.
Hundreds of cocaine users are testing whether that legal pill, called Provigil, could help them kick the addiction, and there’s early evidence that it may.
In addition to blunting cocaine’s notorious cravings, Provigil might also counter the damage that cocaine wreaks on users’ brain circuits — damage that, in turn, fuels the cycle of addiction.
Provigil in Cerebral Palsy
In patients treated with Provigil with previous assisted or unassisted ambulation, the majority (73%) showed gait improvements. When compared with the non-Provigil-treated group, only 3 (15%) showed any improvement in ambulation. In the initial Provigil pilot study, the study patients were noted to walk faster with Provigil treatment. The current study supports the idea that by improving tone in cerebral palsy, long-term functional improvements, such as improved gait, can be obtained.
Provigil for Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy commonly begins in young adulthood, but in many individuals 10 to 15 years may pass between the onset of symptoms and proper diagnosis of the disorder. The most common symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which is characterized by irresistible sleep attacks that can last from a few seconds to more than an hour. These attacks can take place any time, such as during conversation or while eating or driving, and can occur frequently. As a result, narcolepsy can greatly impair an individual’s ability to perform basic daily activities such as working, studying, and socializing, as well as significantly impacting the quality of life.
Provigil as Adjunct Therapy for Daytime Sleepiness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome can experience residual daytime sleepiness despite regular use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study assessed the efficacy and safety of Provigil for the treatment of residual daytime sleepiness in such patients.
Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA/HS) is a serious and chronic disorder characterized by repeated episodes of complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep. The resulting disruption (or fragmentation) of sleep leads to excessive daytime sleepiness.
A relatively common condition, OSA/HS is estimated to affect 2 to 4% of middle-aged adults. Because the disorder has been associated with impairments in neurophysiologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular function, patients with OSA/ HS may experience significant morbidity and there is suggestive evidence of increased mortality.