The cognitive and neuropshysiological impact of coffee consumption

Abstract

The objective of this within-subject study is threefold: to explore the self-reported cognitive impact of coffee intake (compared to decaf); to characterize the physiological profile of coffee consumption (compared to decaf) through a Wavelet analysis in regular consumers; to validate whether the heart rate could be a good physiological signature of the coffee effect at the physiological level. The sample (n=13) ranges between 18 and 50 years old. Participants were instructed to consume a randomly selected substance (coffee or decaffeinated) and had their cardiac activity continuously monitored for 45 minutes after consumption. In order to analyze the two conditions, a Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) was applied, followed by the Wilcoxon test. Our results showed a significant difference between the two conditions, confirming this approach’s applicability to overcome the difficulty of analyzing continuous measurement, especially the peripheral neurophysiological measures). Also, the self-reported cognitive data are consistent with the neurophysiological results. Results imply that the Wavelet analysis might shed light on this field in order to find a more reliable way to assess the effect of psychoactive substances in clinical settings.

Date of Award	13 Jul 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Patrícia Oliveira-Silva (Supervisor)