Modafinil to Treat Fatigue in Post-Polio Syndrome

The main objective of this study is to determine if the drug Modafinil is effective in the treatment of fatigue in patients with post-polio syndrome (PPS). PPS is a motor neuron disease experience by more than 400,000 Americans, characterized by new weakness and intense fatigue. The cause of fatigue, the most common and disabiling symptom in these patients, is unknown and there is no effective treatment. In the present study, selected PPS patients will be randomized to receive two different doses of Modafinil or placebo. After six weeks, the patients will enter a two-week wash out period, and then will be crossed over to the other arm. The sample size has been powered to reflect a significant difference in the scales of fatigue. Secondary exploratory studies will include investigation of sleep patterns as a cause contributing to fatigue and a search for upregulation of fatigue-associated cytokines in the patient's serum and CSF.