The majority of studies to date have investigated the behavioural effects of caffeine in laboratory experiments using artificial tasks. It is now important to ask whether similar effects are observed in simulations of real life activities, such as driving, and to consider whether consumption of caffeine can reduce fatigue over long time periods, for instance over the working day. A number of studies show that caffeine can improve driving performance of fatigued drivers. In the current study 3mg/kg caffeine was found to improve steering accuracy in drivers carrying out a one-hour simulated drive. In addition, measures of mood and performance of artificial tasks were recorded in this study and these also showed the benefits of consuming caffeine. These findings suggest that changes in the laboratory may reflect a general benefit of caffeine that is also observed in real-1ife situations. Further evidence from Smith examining the effects of caffeine on performance efficiency over the working day has shown the benefits of caffeine consumption on measures of sustained attention and alertness. Furthermore, this study also provided evidence to suggest that caffeine is often consumed when alertness is low to maximise alertness and performance efficiency. The implications of these findings in terms of road safety are also considered. (A)
Samenvatting