A growing number of healthy people take Modafinil to boost their focus before tests. Following a thorough study, researchers conclude that Modafinil can be secure for short-term use.

Modafinil is the first and only “smart drug,” researchers at Harvard and Oxford universities have claimed after conducting a thorough analysis of this drug. The researchers concluded that Modalert 200 is used to treat the condition but is now being taken on its own by healthy people. It could improve decision-making and problem-solving and may even encourage people to think more imaginatively.

While acknowledging the fact that there was a lack of information regarding the long-term effects of use, the reviewers concluded that the medication appeared safe to use for short periods with no adverse negative effects and no addictive properties.

Modafinil has been increasingly popular in the universities of Britain and the US. The drug is known within the UK as Provigil and was licensed in 2002 to treat the brain disorder narcolepsy that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly at the wrong time or suffer from persistent fatigue and sleepiness.

Utilized without prescription and available on easy-to-find sites, Modafinil is called a smart drug. It is used predominantly by those who wish to increase their concentration before exams. A survey among Nature journal readers found that one in five people had used drugs to boost engagement and focus, with 44% of respondents stating Modafinil as their preferred drug. Yet, despite its rising popularity, there’s not been a consensus about the extent of Modafinil’s effects on healthy, ordinary humans.

A fresh review of some of the latest studies on Modafinil shows that the drug is having numerous positive effects on healthy people, which include enhancing focus, improving learning and memory, as well as increasing something known as “fluid intelligence” – essentially the ability to tackle problems and think imaginatively. A study also found that Modafinil could make the task seem more enjoyable. The more complicated and prolonged the test task and the more often Modafinil provided cognitive benefits, as the review’s authors claimed.

The review reveals adverse effects, including one study which showed that those who were already deemed creative had a tiny drop in their creativity in a few tasks but not consistently. The review also noted that the drug produces no effects on mood and produces minor side effects, such as headaches, nausea, and anxiety. However, these have also been reported by those who had taken a placebo.

Modafinil’s effects on the brain are complicated and poorly comprehended. One promising hypothesis is that the drug improves blood flow to areas in the brain that are involved in learning and attention. It may also boost brain activity in regions believed to be “conductors,” which manage reasoning, memory, and problem-solving skills.

“Modafinil is the first real example of a smart drug which can genuinely help, for example, with exam preparation,” said Guy Goodwin, president of the European College of Neuro-psychopharmacology. “Previous ethical discussions about these agents have been prone to assume exaggerated effects before it became obvious that there was any. If the findings are correct, this review suggests that the ethical dilemma has been reopened: what do we categorize, accept or disapprove of a medication that enhances human performance in the absence of any pre-existing mental impairment?”

Goodwin states that medications are approved to treat illness when they’re efficient and safe. Modafinil’s manufacturers do not intend to extend the license to doping in exams. He added that there’s no precedent in handling the application in this manner if they did the latter.

“That means we are in a new territory. Suppose there’s a demand for Modafinil and people willing to shell out for it. In that case, an illegal market could be developed. The likelihood of it becoming a political target will depend on how and whether the public debate will require this kind of action.”