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Effects of Caffeine on Cerebral Blood Flow

Effects of Caffeine on Cerebral Blood Flow in Clinically Healthy Young People

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05866848
Enrollment
45
Registered
2023-05-19
Start date
2021-05-01
Completion date
2021-06-01
Last updated
2023-05-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular System

Keywords

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, Middle Cerebral Artery, functional tests, cognitive activities, caffeine

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate in clinically healthy young people if: * after caffeine ingestion, there are variations in blood velocity of the middle cerebral arteries (VMCA), * this variation is dependent on the administered dose. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was used to record blood VMCA in three groups of 15 clinically healthy young adults each - no caffeine, low caffeine (45 mg) and high caffeine group (120 mg). Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography provided simultaneous bilateral VMCA measurements while subjects performed functional tests (hyperventilation and hypoventilation orders) and three cognitive activities (Test 1, short-term remembering, Test 2, solving a vocabulary problem, and Test 3, solving a math problem) each in 31-second tests with 1-minute rest between them. Participants were assessed before and 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.

Detailed description

Were used in the study, Capsules dosed with 45mg and 120 mg of anhydrous caffeine and flour capsules as a placebo. In the preparation of the capsules, a semi-automatic capsulator No. 0 (Capsunorm® by Tecnyfarma®) were used, colorless hard gelatin capsules No. 0 by Acopharma® and anhydrous caffeine (Biochem®, C.A.S. 58-08-2). Viasys Sonara transcranial Doppler unit and a 2 MHz probe were used to sample the middle cerebral artery at depths of 60 millimeters, using emission doppler pulsed performing spectral analysis in real time. Two probes (bilaterally) of 2MHz were placed at a depth between 55 and 60 mm, thus making it possible to analyse both middle cerebral arteries simultaneously. Each participant was asked not to ingest caffeine and exercise vigorously for at least 12 hours before the assessment. In the case of smokers, they were also asked not to smoke for at least 2 hours before the evaluation. The laboratory had medium luminosity, silent and controlled temperature (23º/24ºC). To avoid inter-observer errors, all examinations were performed by the same investigator who was not aware of what dose was/had been administered to the participant. Subjects were tested while seated in a reclining chair located in a dimly lit, sound-attenuated room and performed the activities with their eyes closed.

Interventions

OTHERPlacebo

Flour capsules as a placebo.

OTHERAnhydrous caffeine (45mg)

Capsules dosed with 45mg of anhydrous caffeine.

OTHERAnhydrous caffeine (120mg)

Capsules dosed with 120mg of anhydrous caffeine.

Sponsors

Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

Three groups were randomly constituted, with 15 young people each: control group without caffeine, group with relatively small amount of caffeine (45 mg) administered and group with greater amount of caffeine (120 mg). Participants were not aware to which group they belong.

Intervention model description

All subjects were submitted to 2 evaluation moments: the first baseline moment and the second moment, 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion, which constitutes the time required for caffeine absorption. In each of the 2 moments, they performed 30 seconds of continuous breathing (hypoventilation), followed by 30 seconds of continuous rapid breathing (hyperventilation). VMCA measurements were stabilized between these tests. The study started with apnea testing because VMCA requires less time to return to baseline levels after hypoventilation than after hyperventilation. When VMCA measurements were stable, a 30-second baseline period was followed by three 30-second cognitive tasks, with a 1-minute break between activities: short-term memory test; solve a vocabulary problem; and solving a math problem. Three versions of each cognitive task were used for the three conditions. The procedure was completed with a final rest period of 60 seconds.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* clinically healthy young people

Exclusion criteria

* Individuals with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, arrhythmias, carotid sinus syndrome, severe carotid stenosis and who were in an unstable clinical situation.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Math problems)30 minutesWith solving math problems, changes in Vend-diastolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Math problems)30 minutesWith solving math problems, changes in Peak systolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Basal)30 minutesChanges in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Hypoventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hypoventilation, changes in Vend-diastolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Hyperventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hyperventilation, changes in Vend-diastolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Short-term memory test)30 minutesWith short-term memory test, changes in Vend-diastolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Vend-diastolic velocity (Vocabulary problems)30 minutesWith solving vocabulary problems, changes in Vend-diastolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Basal)30 minutesChanges in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Hypoventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hypoventilation, changes in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Hyperventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hyperventilation, changes in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Short-term memory test)30 minutesWith short-term memory test, changes in Peak systolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Short-term memory test)30 minutesWith short-term memory test, changes in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Vocabulary problem)30 minutesWith solving vocabulary problems, changes in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Mean Velocity (Math problem.)30 minutesWith solving math problems, changes in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Basal)30 minutesChanges in Mean Velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Hypoventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hypoventilation, changes in Peak systolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Hyperventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hyperventilation, changes in Peak systolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Peak systolic velocity (Vocabulary problems)30 minutesWith solving vocabulary problems, changes in Peak systolic velocity, measure in m/s from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes in Heart Rate (Hypoventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hypoventilation, changes in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Heart Rate (Hyperventilation)30 minutesBy performing Hyperventilation, changes in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Heart Rate (Short-term memory test)30 minutesWith short-term memory test, changes in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Heart Rate (Vocabulary problems)30 minutesWith solving vocabulary problems, changes in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Heart Rate (Math problems)30 minutesWith solving math problems, changes in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.
Changes in Heart Rate (Basal)30 minutesChanges in Heart Rate, measure in bpm from baseline to 30 minutes after caffeine ingestion.

Countries

Portugal

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026