Effects of acute modafinil on cognition in trichotillomania

Individuals with trichotillomania often report significant difficulty resisting the urges and drive to pull hair. The aim of this study is to examine whether modafinil improves motor inhibitory control, and other cognitive functions, in trichotillomania. Eighteen subjects with trichotillomania (mean age 33.4 ± 12.8 years; 78% female) received a single dose of modafinil (200 mg) and placebo in a crossover double-blind design. Neurocognitive performance was assessed using the stop-signal, pattern recognition, rapid visual information processing and Tower of London tasks. No effects of modafinil on cognition approached statistical significance on the test measures examined (all p > 0.10). These results suggest that modafinil may not be useful for targeting impulse dyscontrol in trichotillomania. However, it remains possible that relatively small effects of modafinil on cognition could exert larger downstream effects on overt behaviour. Further trials using modafinil and other pro-cognitive agents are warranted.