Question

How does caffeine alter consciousness, describe the neural receptors it activates and if it is inhibitory or excitatory. Discuss the mental and physical effects of using or abusing caffeine. How can caffeine effect a person’s neurological functioning?

Answer 1

• Caffeine falls in the category of stimulants.Stimulants block the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the synapses of the CNS.Caffeine may create dependence.
• Because more of these neurotransmitters remain active in the brain, the result is an increase in the activity of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
• Effects of stimulants include increased heart and breathing rates, pupil dilation, and increases in blood sugar accompanied by decreases in appetite. For these reasons, stimulants are frequently used to help people stay awake and to control weight.
• Caffeine is a bitter psychoactive drug found in the beans, leaves, and fruits of plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide. It is found in a wide variety of products, including coffee, tea, soft drinks, candy, and desserts.Caffeine acts as a mood enhancer and provides energy.
• Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that makes us tired. It limits brain stimulation by blocking other neurotransmitters that excite the brain. During the day, our bodies create adenosine; when we sleep at night, adenosine levels decrease.
• Caffeine’s molecular structure is similar to adenosine, which is a scientific way of saying that caffeine looks like adenosine. It binds with the same receptors that adenosine binds with, thereby blocking adenosine from reaching our brain. By preventing adenosine from reaching the brain, caffeine keeps us awake and alert.
• If the brain doesn’t regularly get enough adenosine, however, it will create more receptors. When there are more receptors, more caffeine is needed to block them. This is why regular coffee drinkers build up a tolerance to caffeine and need more coffee for the same effect.
• By blocking adenosine, caffeine lets those excitatory neurotransmitters that stimulate the brain move about freely. This leads to an increase neuron firing, and the pituitary gland notices the uptick in activity. The pituitary gland, in turn, releases hormones that activate the adrenal glands, which produce adrenaline.The end result of this long chain of reactions is an increase in adrenaline levels.
• Caffeine increases the amount of dopamine in our brain by blocking its reabsorption into our bodies. It doesn’t increase the amount of dopamine our bodies make, but it slows the rate at which dopamine leaves our brains and returns to our bodies.
• At the same time, it doesn’t impact how quickly the chemical goes from our bodies to our brains. This leads to elevated dopamine levels for a short time, which make us feel good.
• This is also why caffeine is addictive. We become accustomed to the elevated dopamine levels and miss them when we don’t have caffeine to produce them.
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), includes caffeine addiction and withdrawal as mental disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies caffeine dependence as a clinical disorder.
• An excessive amount of caffeine can bring about headache. However, suddenly stopping ordinary consumption of caffeine can likewise bring about headache.
• Vast amounts of caffeine may bring about hyperesthesia, an unpleasant sensory sensation and so forth. It is likewise conceivable to overdose on caffeine. Confusion and hallucinations are basic manifestations of a caffeine overdose. Furthermore, an overdose can even bring about death because of convulsions.
• Several studies have recommended that caffeine consumption can increase the gastric juice secretion which may even cause acid reflux or upset stomach even ulcer.
• One or two cups of coffee (i.e., 150 to 250 mg of caffeine) can have truly unfavorable impacts on one’s mental state. A consumption of only 100 mg of caffeine can prompt such symptoms as dizziness, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, sleep deprivation and headaches in few people.
• Large dosages of caffeine can originate another sort of disorder known as caffeinism. In human, ingestion of 650 mg of caffeine for every day can prompt this syndrome.This sum can prompt to aggressiveness and psychotic behavior. This syndrome is indistinct from the mental disorder like anxiety neurosis making the individual seem confused or confounded with true psychotic states.