Posted by undopaminergic on May 28, 2008, at 13:00:22
In reply to Re: C*A*F*F*E*I*N*E..as an antidepressant?, posted by linkadge on May 27, 2008, at 19:56:35
> There is an association between coffee (caffiene) intake and reduced risk of parkinsons disease. This association has been repeated a number of times.
>Adenosine A2A-receptor antagonism appears to be beneficial in Parkinson's disease, and there have been trials of selective A2A-antagonists.
>
>
> A number of studies show that there is generally no tollerance to the caffiene induced release of prefrontal dopamine even after long term use. For individuals with low metabolic activity here, this may be benificial.
>On the contrary, my impression from what I've read on caffeine is that tolerance to its dopaminergic effects develop rapidly, whereas its cholinergic enhancement is stable over time.
>
> Another (potential) target would be the potent antioxidant capacity of coffee which may confer neuroprotection. The polyphenols may also be neuromodulatory.
>However, tea - especially the green type - is likely to have greater antioxidant potential.
>
> Comparing coffee to cocaine is like comparing apples to oranges. Coffee is generally not much of a euphoriant. Animals do not self inject caffiene like they do cocaine.
>That is because caffeine is a poor stimulant of mesolimbic dopamine.
My personal experience is that caffeine is of little or no use - especially not on its own. A long time ago, back when caffeine was the only stimulant available to me, I used - or even abused - it a lot. The main results of my excessive consumption was sleep attacks and an increased frequency of headaches. It never made me anxious, although perhaps a little bit nervous at times. I also never found it to significantly enhance wakefulness or focus, although in the heyday of my caffeine use, I was convinced that it must be helping at least a little.
These days, I use moderate amounts - always less than a dozen cups of tea a day - and don't experience sleep attacks or headaches. I still don't notice any clear benefits, but I have the impression that it subtly enhances my memory, cognition and activity level. A prerequisite for my successful use of caffeine is to take it in conjunction with more potent dopaminergic agents.
poster:undopaminergic
thread:831456
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080528/msgs/831671.html