• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.27
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• pp.7.1-7.7
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• 2012

Objectives: Modafinil is a waking drug prescribed to narcolepsy patients, but its usage among healthy individuals is increasing to enhance their alertness or to mitigate fatigue. This study was conducted to investigate practical use and toxic effects on neuro-immune interaction of modafinil. Methods: This study reviewed the significance of psychoactive drugs, and discussed the benefits and risks of the application of modafinil, which seems to be ideal as an anti-psychotic or anti-fatigue agent. Results: Modafinil is known to have less or no adverse effects than those found in traditional psychostimulants such as amphetamine, methylphenidate or cocaine. It can be applied as an anti-psychotic or anti-fatigue agent. However, the waking mechanism of modafinil is yet to be fully revealed. Recent studies reported that modafinil may be subject to abuse and addiction. In addition prolonged sleeplessness induces stress responses and impairs immune function. Conclusions: Modafinil can be used by anyone, who wishes to work late, stay awake, enhance their cognitive reactions, or brighten their moods. Users may already be under a great level of stress, i.e. cancer patients or soldiers in a battle field. A psychoneuroimmunological approach is thus needed to investigate the multi-functional effects of modafinil.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2010

주의력결핍 과잉행동장애는 미국에서 약 200만 명의 어린이에게 나타나는 심각한 만성 신경행동학적 장애이다. 주의력결핍 과잉행동장애 치료의 중심은 약물요법이다. 그러나 현재 환자의 약 30%는 주의력결핍 과잉행동장애를 적응증으로 갖도록 허가된 의약품들을 사용해도 적절한 치료효과를 얻지 못하고 있는 상황이다. Modafinil은 methylphenidate나 amphetamines와 같은 각성제와는 다른 약리학적 기전으로 중추신경계를 항진시킨다. 본 연구는 modafinil의 주의력결핍 과잉행동장애 치료효과에 대한 최신 지견을 얻고자, 1990년부터 2010년 3월까지 MEDLINE에 등재된 논문을 ADHD와 Modafinil이라는 MeSH terms로 검색하여 추출한 자료 중에서 대조군이 사용된 무작위 배정 및 이중맹검 임상연구 사례만을 선별하여 임상적 유용성을 평가하였다. 현재 modafinil은 주의력결핍 과잉행동 장애 치료제로 허가된 의약품은 아니지만 최근 여러 국가에서 시행된 연구들은 modafinil이 안전하고 효과적인 주의력결핍 과잉행동장애 치료제일 수 있다는 결과를 보여주고 있다.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2006

Introduction: Excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy are key features of narcolepsy. Modafinil is psychostimulant used in the treatment of narcolepsy. In this study, we evaluated effects of modafinil on nocturnal sleep structure and sleep latency in multiple sleep latency test and clinical features. Methods: Twelve narcoleptic patients (7 male, age: $22.9{\pm}2.6\;yrs$) were participated in the study. All of them had done nocturnal polysomnography (nPSG), multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), clinical symptoms scales and have repeated same procedure after taking 200 mg of modafinil. We have done linear mixed model analysis to describe effects of group, medication and nap time on these measures. Results: Modafinil did not affect clinical scales except PSQI which had been reduced after medication. In this study, Modafinil reduced total sleep time, sleep efficiency and increased wake after sleep onset and percent of arousal during sleep in nocturnal polysomnography and prolonged mean sleep latency in multiple sleep latency tests in both group. Discussion: Modafinil has stimulant effect of central nervous system but its effect on night sleep is less than other psychostimulants such as methylphenidate. We ascertained that modafinil affected total sleep time, sleep efficiency and percent of wake during sleep but did not effect on sleep structure. Modafinil was effective in the management of day time sleepiness. Modafinil can enhance alertness of control group without day time sleepiness.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.72-82
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• 2008

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the use of non-stimulants, including atomoxetine, bupropion and modafinil, as alternative approaches to the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A comprehensive review of the empirically based literature regarding the efficacy and the safety of the non-stimulants was performed. There is a large and increasing body of data supporting the efficacy and the safety of non-stimulants. Although the treatment effect sizes for non-stimulants may be smaller than those for stimulants, non-stimulants alone have been shown to be effective in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as several comorbidities. These results suggest that non-stimulants are effective in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of alternative pharmacological medications in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2010

Narcolepsy is a central neurologic system disease. It begins early in life with disabling symptoms including excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucination and nocturnal sleep fragmentation. Patient with typical symptoms of narcolepsy is diagnosed by objective data from nocturnal polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests. Narcolepsy is controlled with various medications. Nowadays, modafinil with favorable side effects profiles compared with traditional stimulant is mainly used. Gamma hydroxyl butyrate is effective in cataplexy. Cataplexy is also controlled with antidepressant such as Venlafaxine, SSRI, and TCA. As the knowledge of pathophysiology of narcolepsy expands, new treatment including immunological method, application of hypocretin and histamine systems have been tried.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.689-698
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• 2010

Fatigue has been a common symptom of warfighters who were participated in the early morning hours, late night hours, and sustained operations. Continuous operations may disrupt circadian rhythm, resulting in impaired combat capability. It is important to enhance alertness and sleep quality of warfighters for maintaining combat capability. A number of anti-fatigue strategies are available including medications. Here in, the pharmacological countermeasures of combat fatigue have reviewed, and the direction of research in the pharmacological countermeasures against combat fatigue are proposed.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2019

There is considerable overlap in the clinical presentations of apathy and depression. However, differential diagnosis between apathy and other psychiatric conditions, including depression and dementia, is important. In this report, we present the case of a 67-year-old woman with a history of receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment for depression. Differential diagnosis between treatment-resistant depression and SSRI-induced apathy syndrome was required. The symptoms of her apathy syndrome were relieved after the discontinuation of SSRIs and the addition of olanzapine, methylphenidate, and modafinil. Furthermore, we briefly review related literature in this article.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2011

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder, which is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) that is typically associated with cataplexy, sleep fragmentation and other REM sleep-related phenomenon such as sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination. Narcoleptic symptoms can be developed from various medical or neurological disorders. A 17-year-old male patient admitted for the evaluation of EDS which started three-month ago. He slept more than 18 hours a day with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucination. He was obese with body mass index (BMI) of 30.4 kg/$m^2$. After admission he was newly diagnosed to the thyrotoxicosis. T3 391.2 ng/dL (60-181), free T4 4.38 ng/dL (0.89-1.76), TSH <0.01 ${\mu}IU$/mL (0.35-5.5) were measured. His pulse rate ranged 70-90 beats per minute and blood pressure ranged 150/100-120/70 mmHg. Polysomnography revealed many fragmentations in sleep with many positional changes (81 times/h). Sleep onset latency was 33.5 min, sleep efficiency was 47.9%, and REM latency from sleep onset was delayed to 153.6 min. REM sleep percent was increased to 27.1%. Periodic limb movement index was 13.4/h. In the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), average sleep latency was 0.4 min and there were noted 3 SOREMPs (Sleep Onset REM sleep period) on 5 trials. We couldn't discriminate the obvious sleep-wake pattern in the actigraph and his HLA DQB1 $^*0602$ type was negative. His thyroid function improved following treatment with methimazole and propranolol. Vital sign maintained within normal range. Cataplexy was controlled with venlafaxine 75 mg. Subjective night sleep continuity and PLMS were improved with clonazepam 0.5 mg, but the EDS were partially improved with modafinil 200-400 mg. Thyrotoxicosis might give confounding role when we were evaluating the EDS, though sleep fragmentation was one of the major symptoms of narcolepsy, but enormous amount of it made us think of the influence of thyroid hormone. The loss of sleep-wake cycle, limited improvement of EDS to the stimulant treatmen, and the cataplexy not supported by HLA DQB1 $^*0602$ should be answered further. We still should rule out idiopathic hypersomnia and measuring CSF hypocretin level would be helpful.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2007

The objective of this review is to propose the Korean practice guideline for pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For making the guideline, the authors used the evidence-base approaches derived from a detailed review of literature including wide range of controlled clinical trials, studies of side effects of drugs, toxicological reports, and meta-analyses published in United States and Europe, as well as inside Korea. The review committee composed of experts in ADHD inkoreahasreviewedtheparameter. The practice parameter for pharmacological treatment describes the use of stimulants, atomoxetine, modafinil, bupropion, tricyclic antidepressants, and alpha-adrenergic agonists and their side effects. The recommendations of pharmacological treatment are proposed at the end of the article.