Provigil and Caffeine
There were 50 healthy young adults who remained awake for 54.5 h (06:30 day 1 to 13:00 day 3). A 10-min vigilance test was administered bi-hourly from 08:00 day 1 until 22:00 day 2. At 23:55 day 2 (after 41.5 h awake), double-blind administration of one of five drug doses (placebo; Provigil 100, 200, or 400 mg; or caffeine 600 mg; n = 10 per group) was followed by hourly testing from 00:00 through 12:00 day 3. Response speed (reciprocal of reaction time) across the 10-min task (by 1-min block) was analyzed prior to and after drug administration.
A fatigue effect (response speed degradation across the 10-min task) was exacerbated by sleep deprivation and circadian rhythmicity. Prior to the drug, this effect was maximal between 08:00 and 12:00 day 3 (24-28 h sleep deprivation).
Does Provigil activate the locus coeruleus in man?
Provigil is a wakefulness-promoting drug which is likely to activate some wakefulness-promoting and/or inhibit sleep-promoting neurones in the brain. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a wakefulness-promoting noradrenergic nucleus whose activity can be “switched off” by the a2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine, leading to sedative and sympatholytic effects.
The aim of the study is to compare the effects of single doses of Provigil and clonidine on arousal and autonomic functions in human volunteers.
Provigil Side Effects
An Introduction to Provigil Side Effects
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Provigil® (modafinil); however, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
Common Side Effects of Provigil
Provigil has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
Shiftwork
In recent years, as a response to social and economic demands, the so-called ’24-h society’ has dramatically evolved and expanded. According to surveys in European countries, the USA and also in developing countries, approximately 20% of employees are working in alternating shifts. However, the number of people working alternating shifts in social, communication, leisure, transportation, medical services and in factories is probably rapidly rising.
Several headline catastrophes such as the Challenger explosion, the Bhopal disaster, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Three Mile Island and the Chernobyl reactor meltdown have been, at least in part, attributed to human errors secondary to fatigue and sleepiness, which might have been related to the effects of shiftwork.