This is a course about addiction to drugs and other behaviors. It will describe what happens in the brain and how this information helps us deal with and overcome addiction. It will also discuss other topics such as government policy and our vulnerability to take drugs.
Caffeine
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From the course by Emory University
The Addicted Brain
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From the lesson
Classes of Drugs, Part 2 & Animal Models
Meet the Instructors
Michael Kuhar, Ph.D.Professor
Yerkes/Emory Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Today we're going to talk about a substance that most
of us use every day, and that substance is caffeine.
Caffeine is well known to be a mild stimulant.
Many people take in the morning to get themselves going, as they say.
It's perhaps the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world.
Psychoactive means that it alters the way your mind functions.
It's found in a lot of plants, and there
is evidence that it produces abuse, tolerance and addiction.
Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, sodas,
chocolate, energy drinks, and many other things.
If you're used to taking caffeine all the time, and you haven't
had it for a day or so, you will probably experience some withdrawal.
At that time, the effects of caffeine could
be calming because your satisfying the withdrawal syndrome.
But if you're having caffeine frequently, and you're taking higher doses, you may
very well experience more severe effects due to the immediate effects of caffeine.
These include restlessness, nervousness, insomnia,
frequent urination, G.I. disturbance, muscle
twitching; a fast heart rate or a tachycardia, and other things.
After prolonged daily use of caffeine, and after stopping it abruptly,
or reducing its use significantly, the following may occur within 24 hours.
Headache, fatigue or drowsiness, a disphoric or unpleasant mood.
Depression, irritability, and you may have difficulty concentrating.
It is believed that the effects of caffeine
intake and the signs and symptoms of withdrawal
can cause significant distress or impairment in various
areas of your life, including social and occupational activities.
A survey revealed that 14% used caffeine despite harm,
and despite advice to stop or resto, or reduce it's use.
45%, reported failed efforts to control it's use.
Thus, caffeine has many of the properties of
other drugs that are abused and cause addiction.
You know that drugs of abuse are typically associated
with altering a specific neurotransmitter system in the brain.
What neurotransmitter does caffeine interact with?
Well, it's a neurotransmitter called adenosine.
Caffeine is an antagonist at two of several adenosine GPR receptors.
Ultimately, it increases dopamine activity in the brain as well.
Because caffeine is an antagonist or blocker of adenosine,
caffeine's actions are opposite to those of adenosine.
The neurotransmitter adenosine is involved in
inhibiting release of other neurotransmitters, reducing
excitation and convulsions, depressing locomotor activity,
and inhibiting the actions of the heart.
Just as we can treat our dependence
on other drugs, we can treat caffeine overuse.
A reasonable plan for caffeine addiction is as follows.
First, you should be made aware of the sources of caffeine.
Then you need to generate an awareness of caffeine intake by record keeping.
Once you're aware of how much caffeine you're taking in, then you can determine
a maximal intake goal, which could be zero, perhaps with a health professional.
Then you can gradually reduce the intake of caffeine til you reach your goal.
Throughout this, it can be helpful to participate in
counseling to help with and support this overall process.
While caffeine is only a mild stimulant, very available and
widely used, it nevertheless has been associated with health problems.
Patients have also found it difficult to stop, and they
exhibit many of the characteristics of being dependent and addicted.
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