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Reinforcing effects of modafinil: influence of dose and behavioral demands following drug administration

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Abstract

Rationale

The reinforcing effects of stimulant drugs are modulated by behavioral demands following drug administration.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the reinforcing effects of modafinil, a drug with purportedly low abuse potential, under different behavioral demands using a modified progressive-ratio procedure.

Methods

The reinforcing effects of oral modafinil (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg) were assessed in six healthy adult volunteers under both performance and relaxation conditions. Performance sessions required volunteers to complete simple arithmetic problems for three 50-min blocks. Relaxation sessions required volunteers to sit quietly in a semireclined position in a darkened room for three 50-min blocks. Two sampling sessions (one performance and one relaxation session) always preceded two self-administration sessions (one performance and one relaxation session), and the order of performance and relaxation sessions was constant within a dose condition.

Results

Modafinil significantly increased break point and number of capsules earned on the modified progressive-ratio procedure as an increasing function of dose under the performance, but not the relaxation, condition. Modafinil produced comparable stimulant-like subjective ratings under both the performance and relaxation conditions.

Conclusion

The findings of the present experiment demonstrate that modafinil can function as a reinforcer and that the reinforcing effects of modafinil are influenced by behavioral demands following drug administration, similar to those of other stimulant drugs.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Grant DA12665 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (C.R.R.). The authors wish to thank Frances P. Wagner, RN, Michelle D. Gray, Jamie L. Haga, Derek E. Roe, Thomas E. Wooters, and Andrea R. Vansickel for their expert medical and technical assistance. The present experiment complied with all current laws in the USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    William W. Stoops, Mark T. Fillmore & Craig R. Rush

  2. Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    William W. Stoops, Joshua A. Lile & Craig R. Rush

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA

    Paul E. A. Glaser & Craig R. Rush

  4. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA

    Paul E. A. Glaser

Authors
  1. William W. Stoops
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  2. Joshua A. Lile
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  3. Mark T. Fillmore
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  4. Paul E. A. Glaser
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  5. Craig R. Rush
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig R. Rush.

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Stoops, W.W., Lile, J.A., Fillmore, M.T. et al. Reinforcing effects of modafinil: influence of dose and behavioral demands following drug administration. Psychopharmacology 182, 186–193 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0044-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0044-1

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