title: Memory functions and focussed attention in middle-aged and elderly subjects are unaffected by a low, acute dose of caffeine.
abstract: The putative beneficial effects of caffeine on cognitive performance may vary between ages. The acute cognitive effects of 100 g caffeine on memory functions and focussed attention were investigated in sixteen middle-aged (45-60 years) and fourteen elderly (60-75 years) healthy men and women according to a cross-over design. Caffeine did not affect short-term memory span or speed, long-term memory retrieval functions or focussed attention. It is proposed that in middle-aged and elderly subjects cognitive effects may occur predominantly at higher caffeine dosages.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Psychopharmacology Unit, Brain and Behaviour Institute, Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. j.schmitt@np.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: J A J
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hogervorst
authors.forename: E F P M
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Vuurman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jolles
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Riedel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine