Does Modafinil make you smarter?

Does Modafinil make you smarter? People have long been using the smart drug for its cognitive enhancing abilities to increase their productivity for their work and studies. Moreover, Modafinil is known for improving ones attention and alertness, but can it actually make you smarter? We’ll look at what the data says, keep reading.

What is Modafinil?

Modafinil is an FDA-approved medication that promotes wakefulness. Some people use it off-label to help them focus and concentrate better, get more done in the day, and even lose weight.

It is also used off-label to help promote wakefulness in adults suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and to improve attention, memory, and mood in people with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Modafinil is a controlled substance. It is sold online as a “dietary supplement” or in pharmacies under the brand name Provigil.

The smart drug has also been found to be effective in reducing fatigue and increasing executive function skills. Some benefits that one might experience when taking Modafinil might include:

• An increase in focus
• Improvement in long-term memory
• Increased cognitive functions, such as planning
• Improved feelings of fatigue

Modafinil Side Effects

Modafinil is generally well-tolerated but there are some potential side-effects. These are:

• headache,
• dizziness,
• upper respiratory tract infection,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• nervousness,
• anxiety,
• agitation,
• dry mouth, and
• trouble sleeping (insomnia).

Modafinil For Intelligence

How does Modafinil affect intelligence?

Smart drugs effects are frequently overstated and exaggerated. However, strong data demonstrates that Modafinil has a beneficial and notable impact on cognition. It has been demonstrated to enhance healthy volunteers’ performance on a range of tasks, including decision-making, problem-solving, recalling a series of numbers, and spatial planning.
In 2017, scientists in Germany did a controlled trial where they tested Methylphenidate, Caffeine and Modafinil for cognitive enhancement in chess. They found that both Modafinil and Methylphenidate enhanced chess performance by significantly higher scores compared to placebo.

Can Modafinil Increase IQ?

According to most studies, Modafinil improves pattern recognition memory, digit span recall, and mental digit manipulation (performing addition, subtraction, and multiplication in one’s mind),, but its effects on spatial memory, attention, and other aspects of executive function are less clear and appear to depend on the individual being studied. In a study of healthy student volunteers, Modafinil increased target sensitivity in a rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task and the speed of color naming and drawing, but only in those with “low” (mean 106 + 6) IQs; it had no discernible effects on those with “higher” (mean 115 + 5) IQs. Currently, there is not sufficient evidence that shows Modafinil actually increases one’s IQ.

Modafinil for Improved Learning

In a recent study, researchers examined a recently-proposed methodology to combine CT with a ‘cognitive-enhancing’ drug ‘Modafinil’ across a long intervention of repeated sessions in order to increase cognitive test scores and build on prior efforts. They performed numerous tasks to demonstrate the cognitive processes being strengthened. 33 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either Modafinil or a placebo along with daily cognitive training for two weeks in this proof of concept randomised controlled study. Following ten days of treatment with either 200 mg of modafinil or a placebo, volunteers underwent training in verbal learning, working memory, and new language acquisition tasks. The differences between trained and untrained tasks were quantified. Modafinil dramatically increased the rate of learning a new language, and its benefits were strongest during the first five sessions. Modafinil enhanced intraday learning as opposed to interday retention. Working memory or verbal learning rate did not improve with the use of modafinil. Gains in all tasks persisted after medication treatment, however there were no transfer effects to general cognitive functions. According to this study, combining CT with modafinil specifically improves learning during the initial training sessions in comparison to CT combined with a placebo.

Conclusion: Does Modafinil Make You Smarter?

Does Modafinil actually make you smarter? The answer is maybe. Although there hasn’t been any proof showing Modafinil increases one’s IQ. There have been numerous studies demonstrating that Modafinil may help people learn more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, for you chess-players out there, Modafinil may even help you turn your chess playing up a notch.