Assessing the Utility of a Brief Abstinence Test for Initiating Caffeine Abstinence

Abstract

Objective:

This study investigated the efficacy of using a brief abstinence test (BAT) to initiate caffeine abstinence.

Methods:

Participants (n = 39) were undergraduate students who self-reported consuming caffeine every day. Researchers used an applied behavior analysis design to measure changes in self-reported caffeine consumption and caffeine metabolites in saliva samples. Salivary testing served as a bogus pipeline to promote honest responding. After preliminary baseline sessions, participants were asked to abstain from caffeine consumption for 48 hours. All participants experienced a BAT 48 hours after the baseline session, followed by a return to baseline session 2–4 days after the BAT.

Results:

Results revealed a statistically significant difference in self-reported latency since last caffeine consumption when comparing Baseline 1 to Baseline 2. In addition, results revealed a statistically significant increase in withdrawal symptoms from Baseline 1 to BAT session.

Conclusions:

Findings indicate that the BAT successfully initiated caffeine abstinence and withdrawal symptoms suggesting that the BAT may be useful as a short-term intervention to induce caffeine abstinence. Clinical and experimental implications will be discussed.