Table 7.5 Modafinil for the Management of Fatigue Post ABI
Author Year Country Study Design Sample Size |
Methods | Outcome |
Kaiser et al. (2010) Switzerland RCT PEDro=9 N=20 |
Population: TBI=20; Gender: Male=17, Female=3. Treatment Group (n=10): Mean Age=37yr; Mean GCS=7. Control Group (n=10): Mean Age=43yr; Mean GCS=8. Intervention: Patients received either 100-200mg modafinil or placebo every morning for 6wk. Outcome Measure: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT). |
1. At 6 weeks, the decrease in FSS scores was greater in the modafinil group compared to the control group (-0.8± 1.0 versus 0.0± 0.6) but this was not significant (p=0.07). 2. The modafinil group had greater decreases in EDS scores versus placebo (p<0.005). 3. On the MWT, a significantly greater improvement was shown for the modafinil group when compared to placebo (8.4± 9.6 versus 0.4± 6.2 min, p=0.04). 4. Of those patients with fatigue at baseline (FSS≥4), decreases in FSS scores were not greater in the treatment group. |
Jha et al. (2008) USA RCT PEDro=8 NInitial=51, NFinal=46 |
Population: TBI=51; Mean Age=38.25yr; Gender: Male=35, Female=16; Mean Time Post Injury=5.77yr. Intervention: The treatment group (n=27) received modafinil (100 mg/d for 3d, then 200 mg/d for 11d, then a maintenance dose of 400 mg/d for 8wk). The control group (n=24) received a placebo. At the end of phase 1 (8wk) both groups crossed-over. Outcome Measure: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). |
1. No significant between-group differences were found at week 4 or week 10 on the FSS (p=0.80 and p=0.61, respectively) or the MFI (p=0.67 and p=0.73, respectively). 2. The change in ESS scores was significantly greater in the modafinil group versus placebo at 4wk (p=0.02) but not at 10wk (p=0.56). 3. Adverse events for the treatment group included: headaches (29.5%), insomnia (19.6%), fatigue (9.8%), dizziness (7.8%), and tremors (5.9%). 4. Adverse events for placebo: headaches (19.6%) and nasoppharyngitis (5.9%). |