Assessment of brain activity during memory encoding in a narcolepsy patient on and off modafinil using normative fMRI data

Neurocase. 2012 Feb;18(1):13-25. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2010.547508. Epub 2011 Oct 10.

Abstract

We present behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) findings of a 20-year-old female with narcolepsy who completed a standardized fMRI-adapted face memory task both 'off' and 'on' modafinil compared to a normative sample (N = 38). The patient showed poor recognition performance off modafinil (z = -2.03) but intact performance on modafinil (z = 0.78). fMRI results showed atypical activation during memory encoding off modafinil, with frontal lobe hypoactivity, but hippocampal hyperactivity, whereas all brain regions showed more normalized activation on modafinil. Results from this limited study suggest hippocampal and frontal alterations in individuals with narcolepsy. Further, the results suggest the hypothesis that modafinil may affect brain activation in some people with narcolepsy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Behavior / drug effects
  • Behavior / physiology
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / pharmacology
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / pharmacology
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Memory / drug effects
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Modafinil
  • Narcolepsy / drug therapy*
  • Narcolepsy / physiopathology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Modafinil