Acute effects of caffeine on threat-selective attention: Moderation by anxiety and EEG theta/beta ratio

Author(s):
Son, D. van; Schalbroeck, R.; Angelidis, A. (0000-0002-1677-9827); Wee, N.J.A. van der; Does, W. van der; Putman, P.
Published
2018
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Abstract

Background

Spontaneous EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) probably marks prefrontal cortical (PFC) executive control, and its regulation of attentional threat-bias. Caffeine at moderate doses may strengthen executive control through increased PFC catecholamine action, dependent on basal PFC function.

Goal To test if caffeine affects threat-bias, moderated by baseline frontal TBR and trait-anxiety. Methods A pictorial emotional Stroop task was used to assess threat-bias in forty female participants in a cross-over, double-blind study after placebo and 200 mg caffeine. Results At baseline and after placebo, comparable relations were observed for negative pictures: high TBR was related to low threat-bias in low trait-anxious people. Caffeine had opposite effects on threat-bias in low trait-anxious people with low and high TBR. Conclusions This further supports TBR as a marker of executive control and highlights the importance of taking baseline executive function into consideration when studying effects of caffeine on executive functions.

EEG theta/beta ratioAttentional bias to threatCaffeine
Date issued
2018-05-21
Language
English
Is part of
Biological Psychology (2018), Vol. 136, p. 100-110
hdl
1887/80627
doi
10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.05.006
URL
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051118301133