Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?

Title:Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?

Volume: 13 Issue: 1

Author(s): Simone Cappelletti, Daria Piacentino, Gabriele Sani and Mariarosaria Aromatario

Affiliation:

• Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 336 – 00161 Rome, Italy.,Italy

Keywords: Abuse, caffeine, coffee, dependence, energy drinks, safety doses, toxicity.

Abstract: Caffeine use is increasing worldwide. The underlying motivations are mainly concentration and memory enhancement and physical performance improvement. Coffee and caffeine-containing products affect the cardiovascular system, with their positive inotropic and chronotropic effects, and the central nervous system, with their locomotor activity stimulation and anxiogenic-like effects. Thus, it is of interest to examine whether these effects could be detrimental for health. Furthermore, caffeine abuse and dependence are becoming more and more common and can lead to caffeine intoxication, which puts individuals at risk for premature and unnatural death. The present review summarizes the main findings concerning caffeine’s mechanisms of action (focusing on adenosine antagonism, intracellular calcium mobilization, and phosphodiesterases inhibition), use, abuse, dependence, intoxication, and lethal effects. It also suggests that the concepts of toxic and lethal doses are relative, since doses below the toxic and/or lethal range may play a causal role in intoxication or death. This could be due to caffeine’s interaction with other substances or to the individuals' preexisting metabolism alterations or diseases.

Cite this article as:

Cappelletti Simone, Piacentino Daria, Sani Gabriele and Aromatario Mariarosaria, Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?, Current Neuropharmacology 2015; 13(1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655