Modafinil: a true 'smart drug'

University academics are using a “smart” prescription drug that enhances memory and boosts concentration to give them the edge over their rivals when giving presentations.

Studies into the effects of Modafinil, an American drug, have shown it can improve mental ability without the side effects of stimulants such as amphetamines or caffeine....

Those academics who use the drug often do so because they fly round the world giving lectures. They take Modafinil to perk themselves up after long flights so that they can make their presentations despite jetlag.

That's right, folks - they're using performance-enhancing substances. It helps that modafinil seems to have a pretty safe profile, and some clearly demonstrated useful effects:

Researchers at Cambridge University who examined the effects of Modafinil found that it dramatically improved memory function in healthy people who were not sleep deprived.

Danielle Turner, from the department of psychiatry at Cambridge, tested 60 healthy young males on their ability to use touch-sensitive computer screens after they had received either a placebo or a Modafinil tablet.

She found the volunteers given Modafinil performed significantly better and showed less impulsive responding and an increased tendency to reflect on the tasks they were given.

It sounds almost too good to be true, especially if you remember back to the "smart drug" fad years ago, which generated a lot of buzz but far less in the way of measurable results. In the case of modafinil, we have a clear contender:

In April Foresight, a government think tank, said “cognitive enhancers” such as Modafinil could be “as common as coffee” within a couple of decades to help a person think faster and sleep more efficiently.

Sounds like a plan!