Cited by 132Coffee research and impactsSleep and Work-Related FatigueSleep and Wakefulness Research

Effects of caffeine and caffeine withdrawal on mood and cognitive performance degraded by sleep restriction

Rogers, Peter J., Heatherley, Susan V., Hayward, Robert C., Seers, Helen E., Hill, Joanne, Kane, Marian·2005·Psychopharmacology

Abstract

Rationale It has been suggested that caffeine is most likely to benefit mood and performance when alertness is low.Objectives To measure the effects of caffeine on psychomotor and cognitive performance, mood, blood pressure and heart rate in sleep-restricted participants. To do this in a group of participants who had also been previously deprived of caffeine for 3 weeks, thereby potentially removing the confounding effects of acute caffeine withdrawal.Methods Participants were moderate to moderate-high caffeine consumers who were provided with either decaffeinated tea and/or coffee for 3 weeks (LTW) or regular tea and/or coffee for 3 weeks (overnight caffeine-withdrawn participants, ONW). Then, following overnight caffeine abstinence, they were tested on a battery of tasks assessing mood, cognitive performance, etc. before and after receiving caffeine (1.2 mg/kg) or on another day after receiving placebo.Results Final analyses were based on 17 long-term caffeine-withdrawn participants (LTW) and 17 ONW participants whose salivary caffeine levels on each test day confirmed probable compliance with the instructions concerning restrictions on consumption of caffeine-containing drinks. Acute caffeine withdrawal (ONW) had a number of negative effects, including impairment of cognitive performance, increased headache, and reduced alertness and clear-headedness. Caffeine (versus placebo) did not significantly improve cognitive performance in LTW participants, although it prevented further deterioration of performance in ONW participants. Caffeine increased tapping speed (but tended to impair hand steadiness), increased blood pressure, and had some effects on mood in both groups.Conclusions The findings provide strong support for the withdrawal reversal hypothesis. In particular, cognitive performance was found to be affected adversely by acute caffeine withdrawal and, even in the context of alertness lowered by sleep restriction, cognitive performance was not improved by caffeine in the absence of these withdrawal effects. Different patterns of effects (or lack of effects) of caffeine and caffeine withdrawal were found for other variables, but overall these results also suggest that there is little benefit to be gained from caffeine consumption.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s00213-004-2097-y

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  • Studies that have employed long-term caffeine withdrawal methodology have consistently failed to find cognitive enhancing effects of acute caffeine.

    “In fact, studies that have employed long-term caffeine withdrawal methodology have consistently failed to find cognitive enhancing effects of acute caffeine (78–82).”

    From The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review (2017) · cites this paper as [81]

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Authors
Rogers, P. J., Heatherley, S. V., Hayward, R. C., Seers, H. E., Hill, J., & Kane, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Bristol (GB)
  • Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway (IE)
Corresponding author
Rogers, Peter J.
Venue
Psychopharmacology
Published
2005-01-26
Volume
179
Issue
4
Pages
742-752
ISSN
  • 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-2072
OpenAlex
W1986355011
Cited by
132
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 16
FWCI
5.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (publishedVersion)
  • Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
Funders
European Commission
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Keywords
caffeine, caffeine withdrawal, sleep restriction, cognitive performance, mood, alertness, psychomotor performance, blood pressure, heart rate, headache
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Attention, Blood Pressure, Caffeine, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Cognition, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Memory, Memory, Short-Term, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Sleep Deprivation, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, Tremor

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