SynthesisPloS one2013
Efficacy of modafinil on fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness associated with neurological disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 112 citations in OpenAlex.
- Repurposing of modafinil as an anti-inflammatory drug: a systematic review of experimental studies.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Improvement in depressive symptoms is associated with sustained improvement in fatigue impact in adults with multiple sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2024Trial
- Comparative Effects of Methylphenidate, Modafinil, and MDMA on Response Inhibition Neural Networks in Healthy Subjects.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2017Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Armodafinil for the treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with mild or moderate closed traumatic brain injury: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind study followed by a 12-month open-label extension.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2014Trial
- Neuromodulation to Promote Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review of Current Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Approaches.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Use of Symptomatic Drug Treatment for Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis and Patterns of Work Loss.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2026Article
- The Issue of "Smart Drugs" on the Example of Modafinil: Toxicological Analysis of Evidences and Biological Samples.Journal of xenobiotics · 2025Article
- Perspectives on fatigue management among veterans living with multiple sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2024Article
- Article
- Daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease: a multifaceted symptom.Frontiers in sleep · 2023Review
- Management of Psychiatric Disorders in Patients with Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2022Article
- Management of Sleep Disturbances in Parkinson's Disease.Journal of Parkinson's disease · 2022Review
- Article
- Co-occurrence of Fatigue and Depression in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Mini-Review.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Review
- Spontaneously Generated Online Patient Experience of Modafinil: A Qualitative and NLP Analysis.Frontiers in digital health · 2021Article
- Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Other Hypersomnia Syndromes.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2021Review
- Systemic exertion intolerance disease/chronic fatigue syndrome is common in sleep centre patients with hypersomnolence: A retrospective pilot study.Journal of sleep research · 2019Article
- Hypocretin Mediates Sleep and Wake Disturbances in a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury.Journal of neurotrauma · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundModafinil is a novel wake-promoting agent approved by the FDA ameliorating excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in three disorders: narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea. Existing trials of modafinil for fatigue and EDS associated with neurological disorders provided inconsistent results. This meta-analysis was aimed to assess drug safety and effects of modafinil on fatigue and EDS associated with neurological disorders.
methodsA comprehensive literature review was conducted in order to identify published studies assessing the effects of modafinil on fatigue and EDS associated with neurological disorders. Primary outcomes included fatigue and EDS. Secondary outcomes included depression and adverse effects.
findingsTen randomized controlled trials were identified including 4 studies of Parkinson's disease (PD), 3 of multiple sclerosis (MS), 2 of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 1 of post-polio syndrome (PPS). A total of 535 patients were enrolled. Our results suggested a therapeutic effect of modafinil on fatigue in TBI (MD -0.82 95% CI -1.54 - -0.11 p=0.02, I(2)=0%), while a beneficial effect of modafinil on fatigue was not confirmed in the pooled studies of PD or MS. Treatment results demonstrated a clear beneficial effect of modafinil on EDS in patients with PD (MD -2.45 95% CI -4.00 - -0.91 p=0.002 I(2)=14%), but not with MS and TBI. No difference was seen between modafinil and placebo treatments in patients with PPS. Modafinil seemed to have no therapeutic effect on depression. Adverse events were similar between modafinil and placebo groups except that more patients were found with insomnia and nausea in modafinil group.
conclusionsExisting trials of modafinil for fatigue and EDS associated with PD, MS, TBI and PPS provided inconsistent results. The majority of the studies had small sample sizes. Modafinil is not yet sufficient to be recommended for these medical conditions until solid data are available.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.