RESUMO
Objective To investigate the effects of modafinil,a new wake-promoting agent,on simulated flight performance during 48 h sleep deprivation(SD).Method Six male healthy young volunteers were exposed to two periods of 48 h continuous wakefulness during the crossover experiment.In one period,three 200 mg doses of modafinil were given and in the other,separated by two weeks,matching placebos were administered.The SD time started from 8:00 of the first day to 8:00 of the third day.Drug was given at 0:00,16:00 of the second day and 0:00 of the third day.Flight performance in J7-E flight simulator was tested at 21:00 of the first day and 1,3,5,7 h after each drug administration.Result The scores of simulated flight performance in the placebo group decreased with time during SD and became significant at 1:00～7:00 of the third day.Numbers of errors increased with time during SD,especially in the left ascending turn stage and the descending & landing stages.Compared with the placebo,flight performance was significantly increased after the third administration of modafinil.Numbers of errors during 48 h SD and at 1:00～7:00 of the third day in modafinil group was 19% and 40% lower than those in placebo group respectively.Conclusion Simulated flight performance during 48 h SD is significantly improved after repeated administration of modafinil,especially when the impacts of SD and the circadian trough are combined.