Recovery after Prolonged Sleep Deprivation: Residual Effects of Slow-Release Caffeine on Recovery Sleep, Sleepiness and Cognitive Functions

Vol. 51, No. 1, 2005

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Biological Psychology/Pharmacopsychology

Recovery after Prolonged Sleep Deprivation: Residual Effects of Slow-Release Caffeine on Recovery Sleep, Sleepiness and Cognitive Functions
Maurice Beaumont^a, Denise Batéjat^a, Olivier Coste^a, Philippe Doireau^b, Françoise Chauffard^d, Marc Enslen^d, Didier Lagarde^c, Christophe Pierard^a

^aDepartment of Physiology, Institut de Médecine Aérospatiale du Service de Santé des Armées (IMASSA), Brétigny-sur-Orge,
^bCPEMPN, HIA Percy, Clamart, and
^cDirection Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées, AST/REC, Armées, France;
^dNestec SA, Nestlé Research Center, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuropsychobiology 2005;51:16-27 (DOI: 10.1159/000082851)

Key Words

Sleep deprivation
Recovery sleep
Sleepiness
Cognitive performance
Slow-release caffeine
Wakefulness maintenance drugs

Abstract

A long work schedule often results in sleep deprivation, sleepiness, impaired performance and fatigue. We investigated the residual effects of slow-release caffeine (SRC) on sleep, sleepiness and cognitive performance during a 42-hour recovery period following a 64-hour continuous wakefulness period in 16 healthy males, according to a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Three hundred milligrams of SRC or placebo was given twice a day at 21:00 and 9:00 during the first 48 h of wakefulness. Recovery sleep was analysed with electroencephalography (EEG) and wrist actigraphy, daytime sleepiness with continuous EEG, sleep latency tests and actigraphy and cognitive functions with computerized tests from the NATO AGARD STRES battery. Both drug groups exhibited almost the same sleep architecture with a rebound of slow-wave sleep during both recovery nights and of REM sleep during the second night. Wakefulness level and cognitive functions were similarly impaired in both groups on the first day of recovery and partially returned to baseline on the second. To conclude, SRC appears to have no unwanted side-effects on recovery sleep, wakefulness and cognitive performance after a long period of sleep deprivation and might therefore be a useful choice over other psychostimulants for a long work schedule.

Author Contacts

Dr. Maurice Beaumont, MD, PhD
Department of Physiology, IMASSA
BP 73
FR-91223 Brétigny-sur-Orge Cedex (France)
Tel. +33 1 69237921, Fax +33 1 69237002, E-Mail mbeaumont@imassa.fr

Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 12
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 50

Medline Abstract (ID 15627809)

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