Nature and Science of Sleep (Mar 2022)

Effects of Caffeine Intake on Cognitive Performance Related to Total Sleep Deprivation and Time on Task: A Randomized Cross-Over Double-Blind Study

  • Quiquempoix M,
  • Sauvet F,
  • Erblang M,
  • Van Beers P,
  • Guillard M,
  • Drogou C,
  • Trignol A,
  • Vergez A,
  • Léger D,
  • Chennaoui M,
  • Gomez-Merino D,
  • Rabat A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 457 – 473

Abstract

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Michael Quiquempoix,1,2 Fabien Sauvet,1,2 Mégane Erblang,1– 3 Pascal Van Beers,1,2 Mathias Guillard,1,2 Catherine Drogou,1,2 Aurélie Trignol,1,2 Anita Vergez,1,2 Damien Léger,2,4 Mounir Chennaoui,1,2 Danielle Gomez-Merino,1,2 Arnaud Rabat1,2 1Department of Operational Environments, Fatigue and Vigilance Team, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Paris, France; 2VIFASOM Team (EA 7330), University of Paris - Hôtel Dieu AP-HP Hospital, Paris, France; 3LBEPS, Univ Evry, IRBA, University of Paris-Saclay, Paris, France; 4Centre du sommeil et de la vigilance, Hôpital Hôtel Dieu AP-HP, Paris, 75004, FranceCorrespondence: Michael Quiquempoix, Department of operational environments, Fatigue and Vigilance Team, Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), 1, avenue du Général Valérie André, BP 73, Brétigny sur Orge, Paris, 91223, France, Email [email protected]: It is widely admitted that both total sleep deprivation (TSD) and extended task engagement (Time-On-Task, TOT) induce a cognitive fatigue state in healthy subjects. Even if EEG theta activity and adenosine both increase with cognitive fatigue, it remains unclear if these modifications are common mechanisms for both sustained attention and executive processes.Methods: We performed a double-blind counter-balanced (placebo (PCBO) and caffeine (CAF) - 2× 2.5 mg/kg/24 h)) study on 24 healthy subjects (33.7 ± 5.9 y). Subjects participated in an experimental protocol including an habituation/training day followed by a baseline day (D0 and D1) and a total sleep deprivation (TSD) day beginning on D1 at 23:00 until D2 at 21:00. Subjects performed the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) assessing sustained attention, followed by the executive Go-NoGo inhibition task and the 2-NBack working memory task at 09:15 on D1 and D2.Results: We showed differential contributions of TSD and TOT on deficits in sustained attention and both executive processes. An alleviating effect of caffeine intake is only observed on sustained attention deficits related to TSD and not at all on TOT effect. The caffeine dose slows down the triggering of sustained attention deficits related to TOT effect.Discussion: These results suggest that sustained attention deficits induced by TSD rely on the adenosinergic mechanism whereas TOT effect observed for both sustained attention and executive would not.Keywords: total sleep deprivation, time on task, caffeine, sustained attention, inhibition, working memory, cognitive fatigue, mental fatigue, healthy subjects

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