Lecture 10- Dietary effects on mood and cognitive function

Question 1

Minutes to hours

Answer 1

alcohol, caffeine

increased blood glucose

carbohydrate versus protein (brain serotonin)

Question 2

Weeks to years

Answer 2

omega-3 fatty acids (cognitive development, depression, etc)

dietary risk factors for vascular disease are also risk factors for cognitive decline

Question 3

What is humankind’s favourite drug?

Answer 3

Around 6 billion caffeine-containing drinks are consumed worldwide every day

(Cup of tea=50mg)

About 300,000 kg of caffeine per day

Question 4

What are the Physiological actions of caffeine?

Answer 4

Caffeine acts at cell surface receptors widely distributed throughout the body

It is an adenosine A1 and A2A receptor antagonist

Caffeine prevents activation of adenosine receptors by adenosine, thus removing this brake on neural activity

Question 5

What are the

Physiological actions of caffeine ?

Answer 5

Prolonged exposure to caffeine; body mounts a country regularity response

Body tires to restore normal performance through alternations through andenosgenous system

Body becomes tolerant to some effects of caffeine

Question 6

Metabolism of caffeine

Answer 6

Rapid distribution through body; soon after consumption

Peak blood level 30-60 minutes after ingestion in a drink

Elimination half-life of 3-7 hours

Question 7

Withdrawal reversal hypothesis

Answer 7

Acute (e.g., overnight) caffeine withdrawal lowers alertness and degrades mental performance

Caffeine restores alertness and mental performance to, but not above, baseline (normal) levels

Over-night caffeine withdrawal lowers your level of alertness

You become tolerant of effects

Withdrawal lowers alerts, accounting for fatigue in the morning

Caffeine is restoring alertness

Question 8

What is the the androgenic effect of caffeine?

Answer 8

Jitteriness

Question 9

What are the tolerance effects of caffeine?

Answer 9

Alertness

Question 10

Why is abstainers level of alertness not increase when given one off taste?

Answer 10

Possibly increased wakefulness is offset by increased anxiety/jitteriness = no increase in mental alertness

When you collate the two you won’t find a net increase of alertness

Thus, attention due to anxiety is reduced; hard to focus on task at hand

And then you wouldn’t want to use caffeine; don’t want to increase anxiety