Enhancement of learning processes following an acute modafinil injection in mice

• Published in: Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior biochemistry and behavior, 2003-12, Vol.76 (3), p.473-479
• Main Authors: Béracochéa, Daniel, Celerier, Aurélie, Peres, Michel, Pierard, Christophe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Benzhydryl Compounds - administration & dosage; Benzhydryl Compounds - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage; Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacology; Cognitive learning set; Cognitive science; Discrimination Learning - drug effects; Learning - drug effects; Life Sciences; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; Memory; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Modafinil; Neuropharmacology; Neuroscience; Pharmaceutical sciences; Pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Psychopharmacology; Reinforcement Schedule; Reversal Learning - drug effects; Space Perception - drug effects; Stimulation, Chemical; Win–stay strategy
• ISSN: 0091-3057; 1873-5177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2003.09.007

Modafinil is a wakeness-promoting drug, which is effective in the treatment of narcolepsy; its effects on learning processes are however little studied. Thus, the present study was aimed at determining the effects of an acute modafinil injection on a serial reversal discrimination task performed in a T-maze in mice. Independent groups of mice varying by the level of pretest training (either 1 or 4 days of training) were used. Mice were injected each day with a gum arabic solution before each session began. On the second or the fifth day of training, a single dose of modafinil was injected before testing. Modafinil at 64 mg/kg but not at 32 mg/kg dramatically improved performance as compared to controls in subjects being trained 4 days, but not in subjects being trained 1 day. This improvement of learning was due to the more rapid emergence of a win–stay strategy in modafinil-treated subjects as compare to controls. Thus, our data show that an acute modafinil injection enhances learning processes.