Caffeine dependence in schoolchildren?
Schoolchildren (N = 289) kept a log and calculated their habitual caffeine consumption (principally in soft drinks). On 2 successive days, they completed a 20-item checklist adapted from the Profile of Moods Scale. On Day 2, they abstained from caffeine. Complete data were obtained for 175 children. A low-consumption group (10 mg or less daily) was compared with a high-consumption group (50 mg or more daily). The high-consumption group reported more stimulation than did the low-consumption group on Day 1 and more dysphoric symptoms during abstinence on Day 2. The results of this open-label pilot trial suggest that a large-scale double-blind placebo-controlled trial would be worthwhile.
Goldstein
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Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, USA. avram.goldstein@stanford.edu
Wallace
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D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine