Author(s)

Heleen Binnenmars, Herman H. D. Idzerda, Hanno L. Tan, Gerard C. M. Linssen

Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Cardiology, Hospital Group Twente, Almelo, The Netherlands.

Pharmacological treatment of narcolepsy is complex. We reported a case of recurrent episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia attributed to the use of modafinil, a recently approved wake-promoting agent for narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. Modafinil is also approved as adjunctive treatment of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. While the exact mechanism of action for modafinil is not known, central dopamine receptors seem to play an essential role. Adverse influences on the electrocardiogram (ECG) or drug-related cardiac arrhythmias are rarely reported, but are considered as clinically important.

Modafinil; Narcolepsy; Ventricular Tachycardia

H. Binnenmars, H. Idzerda, H. Tan and G. Linssen, "Ventricular Tachycardia during Treatment with Modafinil for Narcolepsy: A Case Report," International Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol. 3 No. 6, 2012, pp. 513-517. doi: 10.4236/ijcm.2012.36092.