Eugeroics are a chemical class of psychoactive drug

Psychoactive drug

A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...

s which act as stimulant

Stimulant

Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...

s, and are also known as wakefulness-promoting agents. They are used mainly in the treatment

Therapy

This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...

 of sleeping disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness is characterized by persistent sleepiness, and often a general lack of energy, even after apparently adequate night time sleep...

 and narcolepsy

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...

, though they are also used merely to counteract fatigue and lethargy and to enhance motivation

Motivation

Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...

 and productivity

Productivity

Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...

. Eugeroics appear to function primarily by increasing catecholaminergic (adrenergic

Adrenergic

An adrenergic agent is a drug, or other substance, which has effects similar to, or the same as, epinephrine . Thus, it is a kind of sympathomimetic agent...

, dopaminergic

Dopaminergic

Dopaminergic means related to the neurotransmitter dopamine. For example, certain proteins such as the dopamine transporter , vesicular monoamine transporter 2 , and dopamine receptors can be classified as dopaminergic, and neurons which synthesize or contain dopamine and synapses with dopamine...

) and histaminergic activity in the brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

. Unlike many other stimulants, eugeroics are relatively non-addictive and non-dependence-forming.

List of Eugeroics

Pharmaceutical drugs:

• Adrafinil
  Adrafinil
  Adrafinil is a mild central nervous system stimulant drug used to relieve excessive sleepiness and inattention in elderly patients...
  
   (Olmifon)
• Armodafinil
  Armodafinil
  Armodafinil is a stimulant-like drug produced by the pharmaceutical company Cephalon Inc., which was approved by the FDA on June 15, 2007...
  
   (Nuvigil)
• CRL-40,941
  CRL-40,941
  CRL-40,941 is a mild central nervous system stimulant drug closely related to adrafinil and modafinil. It is the bis ring-substituted derivative of adrafinil and has similar effects in animal tests and human trials. The fluorine substitution increases the potency to around twice that of adrafinil...
  
   (never marketed)
• Modafinil
  Modafinil
  Modafinil is an analeptic drug manufactured by Cephalon, and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea...
  
  (Provigil, Alertec)