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Mdf5.0

Modafinil Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

40 peer-reviewed studies

What the evidence says

Mostly mechanism / observational

Most Modafinil studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.

Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1998–2026 with a typical study size of 271 participants.

Based on 40 studies · 11 meta-analyses · 17 RCTs · 3,883 total participants

Confidence

High confidence

By outcome

Cognition & executive function
Mostly mechanism / observational15 studies
Sleepiness & sleep disorders
Mostly mechanism / observational13 studies
Safety profile
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Focus & attentionSignificantly improves objective wakefulness in narcolepsy, shift-work disorder, and treated OSA; in healthy adults, modest task-dependent cognitive benefit most consistent under demanding/sleep-deprived conditions · Hours per dose; weeks for steady benefit
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies

Active research area

19 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2026

199820122026

1Meta-Analysis2018

Lehert P, Falissard B · Sleep (2018)

Modafinil Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

Multiple treatment comparison in narcolepsy: a network meta-analysis.

Psychostimulants for hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness) in myotonic dystrophy.

The Efficacy of Modafinil as a Cognitive Enhancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Medications for daytime sleepiness in individuals with idiopathic hypersomnia.

How effective are pharmaceuticals for cognitive enhancement in healthy adults? A series of meta-analyses of cognitive performance during acute administration of modafinil, methylphenidate and D-amphetamine.

Efficacy, Acceptability, and Tolerability of Lisdexamfetamine, Mixed Amphetamine Salts, Methylphenidate, and Modafinil in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Modafinil for people with schizophrenia or related disorders.

Pharmacological interventions for ADHD: a systematic review and dose-effect network meta-analysis

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Multiple Wake-Promoting Agents for the Treatment of Residual Sleepiness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Despite Continuous Positive Airway Pressure: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The Potential Procognitive Effects of Modafinil in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Modafinil for poststroke patients: A systematic review.

Amantadine and Modafinil as Neurostimulants During Post-stroke Care: A Systematic Review.

Efficacy and safety of modafinil versus dexamethasone in cancer-related fatigue: a prospective randomized controlled study.

Modafinil treatment modulates functional connectivity in stroke survivors with severe fatigue.

Moral decision making under modafinil: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover fMRI study.

Modafinil Versus Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine For Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Narcolepsy Type 2: A Randomized, Blinded, Non-inferiority Trial.

Predicting Modafinil-Treatment Response in Poststroke Fatigue Using Brain Morphometry and Functional Connectivity.

Modafinil Decreased Thalamic Activation in Auditory Emotional Processing: A Randomized Controlled Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Comparative effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy, modafinil, and their combination for treating fatigue in multiple sclerosis (COMBO-MS): a randomised, statistician-blinded, parallel-arm trial.

Direct comparison of the acute subjective, emotional, autonomic, and endocrine effects of MDMA, methylphenidate, and modafinil in healthy subjects.