The effect of modafinil on behavioural and ERP correlates of inhibitory control in healthy, non-sleep deprived individuals

Modafinil is a novel wakefulness-promoting medication that has become popularised for purposes of cognitive enhancement. Research has indicated that modafinil may improve inhibitory control-related functioning, though to date no studies have attempted to explore these effects using electrophysiological methods. This study investigated the effect of 200mg of modafinil on behavioural (RT and accuracy) and electrophysiological (N2 amplitude) correlates of inhibitory control within a sample of 18 healthy, non-sleep deprived males aged 19-27 years. Participants completed pre- and post-ingestion versions of a Flanker Go/Nogo paradigm over two double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental conditions. Results indicated that while modafinil maintained baseline levels of mood, sleepiness and alertness to a significantly greater extent than placebo, no effect on inhibitory control processes was observed on RT, accuracy, or amplitude of the N2 component. Despite this, tentative evidence was found for an overall improvement in processing speed following modafinil ingestion, independent of inhibitory control processes. Future research is necessary to investigate these effects further, and determine the extent to which they manifest independently from fatigue-inducing environments.