Editing Modafinil (section)

===Non-medical===

Modafinil has been used non-medically as a "smart drug"<ref name="economist-2008-05-22">{{cite news |vauthors=Slotnik DE |title=Smart drugs |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/leaders/2008/05/22/smart-drugs |access-date=December 3, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203141554/https://www.economist.com/leaders/2008/05/22/smart-drugs |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Slotnik-2017">{{cite news |vauthors=Slotnik DE |date=October 11, 2017 |title=Michel Jouvet, Who Unlocked REM Sleep's Secrets, Dies at 91 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/obituaries/michel-jouvet-who-unlocked-rem-sleeps-secrets-dies-at-91.html |access-date=December 3, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203143118/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/obituaries/michel-jouvet-who-unlocked-rem-sleeps-secrets-dies-at-91.html |url-status=live }}</ref> by various groups, including students,<ref name="Cadwalladr-2015">{{cite news|vauthors=Cadwalladr C|title=Students used to take drugs to get high. Now they take them to get higher grades|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/15/students-smart-drugs-higher-grades-adderall-modafinil|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=February 14, 2015|access-date=January 7, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803132607/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/15/students-smart-drugs-higher-grades-adderall-modafinil|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Economist - The Drug Does Work">{{cite news |vauthors=Cumming E |date=November 3, 2009 |title=The drug does work |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/1843/2009/11/03/the-drug-does-work |access-date=December 3, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203141443/https://www.economist.com/1843/2009/11/03/the-drug-does-work |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Independent-2017">{{cite news|date=May 30, 2017 |title=Professors are taking the same 'smart drugs' as students to keep up with workloads |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/professor-smart-drugs-modafinil-noopept-students-workloads-university-research-teaching-academic-cambridge-a7763041.html |access-date=January 17, 2023 |website=The Independent |archive-date=December 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207055128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/professor-smart-drugs-modafinil-noopept-students-workloads-university-research-teaching-academic-cambridge-a7763041.html |url-status=live }}</ref> office workers, [[transhumanist]]s,<ref name="Talbot - Brain Gain">{{cite magazine|vauthors=Talbot M|title=Brain Gain|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/04/27/brain-gain|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=April 9, 2017|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819222934/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/04/27/brain-gain|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Economist - Toward Immortality">{{cite news |title=Towards immortality |date=November 16, 2006 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/news/2006/11/16/towards-immortality |access-date=December 3, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203142303/https://www.economist.com/news/2006/11/16/towards-immortality |url-status=live }}</ref> and professionals in various sectors. Its use is attributed by these individuals to its potential for enhancing attention, cognitive capabilities, and [[alertness]].<ref name="pmid34382572">{{cite journal | vauthors = Van Rooyen LR, Gihwala R, Laher AE | title = Stimulant use among prehospital emergency care personnel in Gauteng Province, South Africa | journal = South African Medical Journal = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Geneeskunde | volume = 111 | issue = 6 | pages = 587–590 | date = May 2021 | pmid = 34382572 | doi = 10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i6.15465 | s2cid = 236402826 | doi-access = free | title-link = doi | doi-broken-date = November 1, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="The Economist - Supercharging the brain">{{cite news |title=Supercharging the brain |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=September 18, 2004 |url=https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2004/09/18/supercharging-the-brain |access-date=December 3, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203143124/https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2004/09/18/supercharging-the-brain |url-status=live }}</ref>

The effectiveness of modafinil as a cognitive enhancer is still debated. Some studies suggest significant increases in cognitive abilities, while others indicate mild to nonexistent cognitive improvements.<ref name="pmid17712350"/><ref name="pmid12417966">{{cite journal | vauthors = Turner DC, Robbins TW, Clark L, Aron AR, Dowson J, Sahakian BJ | title = Cognitive enhancing effects of modafinil in healthy volunteers | journal = Psychopharmacology | volume = 165 | issue = 3 | pages = 260–269 | date = January 2003 | pmid = 12417966 | doi = 10.1007/s00213-002-1250-8 }}</ref><ref name=retz-2022/><ref name="pmid16142993">{{cite journal |vauthors=Keating GM, Raffin MJ | title=Modafinil: a review of its use in excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and shift work sleep disorder | journal=CNS Drugs | volume=19 |issue=9 |pages=785–803 |date=2005 |pmid=16142993 |doi=10.2165/00023210-200519090-00005 |s2cid=43733424 }}</ref> In some cases, it has even been associated with impairments in certain cognitive functions.<ref name="pmid36056861">{{cite journal | vauthors = Zamanian MY, Karimvandi MN, Nikbakhtzadeh M, Zahedi E, Bokov DO, Kujawska M, Heidari M, Rahmani MR | title = Effects of Modafinil (Provigil) on Memory and Learning in Experimental and Clinical Studies: From Molecular Mechanisms to Behaviour Molecular Mechanisms and Behavioural Effects | journal = Current Molecular Pharmacology | volume = 16 | issue = 4 | pages = 507–516 | date = 2023 | pmid = 36056861 | doi = 10.2174/1874467215666220901122824 | s2cid = 252046371 }}</ref><ref name="pmid32341841" /><ref name="Meulen-2017">{{cite book | vauthors = Meulen R, Hall W, Mohammed A |title=Rethinking Cognitive Enhancement |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-872739-2 |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aAIXDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA116 }}</ref> It has been shown that modafinil's positive impact on cognitive abilities is more noticeable on sleep-deprived individuals.<ref name="pmid26381811">{{cite journal | vauthors = Battleday RM, Brem AK | title = Modafinil for cognitive neuroenhancement in healthy non-sleep-deprived subjects: A systematic review | journal = European Neuropsychopharmacology | volume = 25 | issue = 11 | pages = 1865–1881 | date = November 2015 | pmid = 26381811 | doi = 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.028 | s2cid = 23319688 }}</ref> Therefore, in people who are not sleep-deprived, the potential of modafinil as a cognitive enhancer may be limited.<ref name="pmid35366192">{{cite journal |vauthors=Schifano F, Catalani V, Sharif S, Napoletano F, Corkery JM, Arillotta D, Fergus S, Vento A, Guirguis A |title=Benefits and Harms of 'Smart Drugs' (Nootropics) in Healthy Individuals |journal=Drugs |volume=82 |issue=6 |pages=633–647 |date=April 2022 |pmid=35366192 |doi=10.1007/s40265-022-01701-7 |hdl=2299/25614 |s2cid=247860331 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>