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The effect of prior caffeine consumption on neuropsychological test performance: a placebo-controlled study
Walters, Elizabeth R. Lesk, Valerie E.
Walters, Elizabeth R.
Lesk, Valerie E.
Publication Date
2016
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(c) 2016 S. Karger AG. Full-text reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
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Yes
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Accepted for publication
2015-12-15
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Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prior consumption of 200mg of pure caffeine affected neuropsychological test scores in a group of elderly participants aged over 60 years. Method: Using a double blind placebo vs. caffeine design, participants were randomly assigned to receive 200mg of caffeine or placebo. A neuropsychological assessment testing the domains of general cognitive function, processing speed, semantic memory, episodic memory, executive function, working memory and short-term memory was carried out. Results: Significant interaction effects between age, caffeine and scores of executive function and processing speed were found; participants who had received caffeine showed a decline in performance with increasing age. This effect was not seen for participants who received placebo. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to consider and control prior caffeine consumption when scoring neuropsychological assessments in the elderly which is important for accuracy of diagnosis and corresponding normative data.
Version
final draft paper
Citation
Walters ER and Lesk VE (2016) The effect of prior caffeine consumption on neuropsychological test performance: a placebo-controlled study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. Article in Press.
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Article