Patterns of Non-Prescribed Modafinil Use as a Cognitive Enhancer Among University Students in the UK

Modafinil is a stimulant drug that is primarily prescribed for the management of the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Approximately 10% of UK university students use it as a cognitive enhancer (CE) to help with their studies, but there has been limited research aimed at trying to understand this statistic. We surveyed students who are using modafinil as a cognitive enhancer, with the aim of understanding the detailed patterns of modafinil use. Students were using modafinil as a cognitive enhancer in the mistaken belief that it was illegal to do so, but unconcerned by that legal status or the side effects they experienced, believing that it is effective as a cognitive enhancer. Average length of modafinil use was 11 months, obtained from online pharmacies and with modest doses taken. Modafinil use was planned and strategic, aimed at improving focus and concentration with limited appetite for any sort of intervention by the student’s university. However some expressed concern about addiction and dependence, and there was concern about long-term effects. UK university students are using modafinil as a cognitive enhancer in a stable and planned but unregulated way.