The tendency to hallucinations and consumption of coffee link found

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Increased consumption of caffeine may be associated with a greater tendency to have hallucinations, a new study suggests. People with higher levels of consumption of caffeine from sources such as coffee, tea and energy drinks containing caffeine are more likely to report the experience of hallucinations, such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not present, according to a study by the University of Durham .

"An increase in caffeine users - those who have more than the equivalent of seven cups of coffee a day - three times more likely to have heard the voice of man, if there is none, compared with the low-caffeine users consume less than the equivalent cup of coffee in day.

Researchers say the results will contribute to a better understanding of the principles of nutrition for the hallucinations. Changes in consumption of food and beverages, including caffeine consumption may be people in a better position to evaluate the influence of hallucinations or, perhaps, on how often they occur, say scientists.

The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Council for Medical Research, 200 students asked about their normal consumption of caffeine-containing products such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate and caffeine pills. His tendency to experience hallucinations, as well as the tension is also evaluated. Things that are not there, I hear voices, and to detect the presence of the dead belonged to the experience of some participants.

The researchers, whose work in the science journal Personality and individual differences, for example, could be the conclusion of a convention that caffeine aggravates the physiological effects of stress. When under stress, your body makes the stress hormone called cortisol. Most of the stress hormones in response to stress, when people caffeine. This will give additional impetus to cortisol may link caffeine consumption with increased tendency to hallucinate, say scientists.

Lead author, Simon Jones, a PhD student at Durham University's Psychology Department, said: "This is a first step towards looking at the wider factors associated with hallucinations. Previous research has highlighted a number of important factors, such as childhood trauma, which may lead to clinically relevant hallucinations. Many such factors are thought to be linked to hallucinations in part because of their impact on the body's reaction to stress. Given the link between food and mood, and particularly between caffeine and the body's response to stress, it seems sensible to examine what a nutritional perspective may add."

Co - author Dr Charles Fernyhough, also from Durham University's Psychology Department, noted "Our study shows an association between caffeine intake and hallucination-proneness in students. However, one interpretation may be that those students who were more prone to hallucinations used caffeine to help cope with their experiences. More work is needed to establish whether caffeine consumption, and nutrition in general, has an impact on those kinds of hallucination that cause distress."

Mr Jones added: "Hallucinations are not necessarily a sign of mental illness. Most people will have had brief experiences of hearing voices when there is no one there, and around three per cent of people regularly hear such voices. Many of these people cope well with this and live normal lives. There are, however, a number of organisations, such as the Hearing Voices Network, who can offer support and advice to those distressed by these experiences."

Research in this area continues and the public can take part in studies at www.dur.ac.uk/s.r.jones

Facts about caffeine (Source: Wikipedia)

• Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness.
• With ninety per cent of North Americans consuming some of form caffeine every day, it is the world's most widely used drug.
• In its pure state, caffeine is a crystalline white powder.
• Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion.
  

When taken in moderation, studies have shown that caffeine can increase the capacity for mental or physical labour.

• Caffeine use can lead to a condition called caffeine intoxication. Symptoms include nervousness, irritability, anxiety, muscle twitching, insomnia, headaches, and heart palpitations. This is not commonly seen when daily caffeine intake is less than 250mg.

http://www.dur.ac.uk

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