The Additive Effects of Caffeine on Acute Stress
Translated title
Empirisk Undersøgelse af Koffeins Effekt på Stressresponsen
Authors
Sørensen, Sebastian Kold ; Bang, Peter
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-31
Pages
125
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, om koffein forstærker en laboratoriefremkaldt akut stressrespons. I et dobbeltblindet, randomiseret kontrolleret forsøg deltog 80 raske unge voksne (gennemsnitsalder 23,9 år). Den eksperimentelle gruppe modtog en kop kaffe med cirka 580 mg koffein, mens kontrolgruppen modtog koffeinfri kaffe. Stress blev induceret via en tilpasset Maastricht Acute Stress Test, og stressniveauer blev målt med både selvrapporterede instrumenter (STICSA og SRQ som tilstandsangst og akut stress; PSS for globalt stressniveau) og fysiologiske indikatorer (galvanisk hudkonduktans og hjertefrekvensvariabilitet). En n-back opgave vurderede arbejdshukommelse, og HEXACO-R blev anvendt til at undersøge personlighedstræk. Resultaterne viste, at koffein havde en additiv effekt på både fysiologiske og psykologiske stressmål og både forlængede og intensiverede stressresponsen. Der blev ikke fundet tegn på forringet arbejdshukommelse efter koffein- og stressinterventionen, og specifikke personlighedstræk forklarede ikke variationen i stressresponsen. Individuelle forskelle i koffeinmetabolisme, koffeinfølsomhed og stresslabilitet kan dog modulere effekten. Fundene er relevante i lyset af den stigende forekomst af angst- og stressrelaterede lidelser.
This thesis examines whether caffeine amplifies a laboratory-induced acute stress response. In a double-blind, randomized controlled experiment, 80 healthy young adults (mean age 23.9 years) participated. The experimental group received a cup of coffee containing approximately 580 mg of caffeine, while the control group received decaffeinated coffee. Stress was elicited using an adapted Maastricht Acute Stress Test, and stress levels were assessed with self-report instruments (STICSA and SRQ for state anxiety and acute stress; PSS for global stress) and physiological measures (galvanic skin conductance and heart rate variability). Working memory was evaluated with an n-back task, and HEXACO-R assessed personality traits. Findings showed that caffeine had an additive effect on both physiological and psychological stress, prolonging and intensifying the stress response. No declines in working memory were observed following the caffeine and stress intervention, and specific personality traits did not account for variability in stress responses. However, individual differences in caffeine metabolism, caffeine sensitivity, and stress lability may modulate the effect. These results are relevant given the increasing prevalence of anxiety- and stress-related disorders.
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