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| Pharmacological Strategies to Enhance Mental Performance in Fatigued Soldiers |
Army Science and Technology Objective: IV.ME.2000.03
Problem
Combat operations often require soldiers to operate for extended periods without adequate sleep. Lack of adequate sleep adversely impacts performance, particularly cognitive performance. Previous studies have examined the benefits of caffeine and amphetamines in sustaining mental performance in emergency conditions when sleep was not a viable option.
Medical Research Solution
Dexedrine (amphetamine) is FDA-approved for diseases involving chronic sleepiness but not for extending fatigue limits of healthy individuals. Caffeine is in a special FDA category -- Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) -- and is sold over the counter, but at lower doses than previously shown as effective in sustaining performance after 48 hours of sleep deprivation. Modafinil is a relatively new drug with amphetamine-like properties but possibly with less impact on recovery sleep that shows great promise as a potent replacement for amphetamine and caffeine. This research evaluates the performance of the three stimulants in head-to-head comparisons, determines when they no longer provide a benefit, and determines the optimal dosing recommendation for caffeine.
Products
- Data to support an FDA license for a military indication for Modafinil to sustain alertness for a period of 72 hours or greater.
- Guidelines for optimal use of caffeine (dose amounts and schedule) in the operational environment, including recommendations regarding its upper limits of effectiveness (i.e., the point at which continued sustainment of performance within 10% of optimum requires the use of Modafinil or Dexedrine).
Last Update: April 2, 2003