Sh. Mitchell et al., CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND SELF-ADMINISTRATION FOLLOWING CAFFEINE DEPRIVATION, Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, 51(4), 1995, pp. 941-945
This study examined the effects of complete or partial caffeine depriv
ation on withdrawal symptomatology and self-administration of coffee i
n caffeine-dependent coffee drinkers. Nine habitual coffee drinkers ab
stained from dietary sources of caffeine for 33.5 h. Caffeine deprivat
ion was manipulated by administering capsules containing 0%, 50%, or 1
00% of each subject's daily caffeine intake (complete, partial, and no
deprivation conditions). Caffeine withdrawal symptomatology was measu
red using self-report questionnaires. Caffeine self-administration was
measured using: i) the amount of coffee subjects earned on a series o
f concurrent random-ratio schedules that yielded coffee and money rein
forcers; ii) the amount of earned coffee they consumed. Saliva samples
revealed that subjects complied with the caffeine abstinence instruct
ions. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms occurred reliably following complet
e caffeine deprivation, though not in the partial deprivation conditio
n. Caffeine self-administration was not related to deprivation conditi
on. We conclude that caffeine withdrawal symptomatology is not necessa
rily associated with increased caffeine consumption.