Editorial The Effect of Caffeine on Postural Stability DOI: 10.3766/jaaa.25.6.1

hose of us th at require coffee in order to success­ fully begin the day can appreciate the ability of caffeine to reduce drowsiness. Caffeine is natu­ rally found in many plant species (e.g. coffee plant) and has been suggested to serve as a natural insecticide th at protects plants from pests (Nathanson, 1984). When hum ans ingest caffeine, it acts as a psychoactive drug and stimulates the central nervous system (i.e. blocks inhibitory receptors). The stimulating effects of caffeine on individuals vary based on a number of factors (e.g. weight and tolerance) but the common result is that the individual becomes more focused and alert. Today, there are more ways than ever to obtain a caffeine fix. While coffee and tea have been ingested for their caffeine content for hundreds of years, more recently energy drinks and caffeine pills have been brought to market with the sole purpose of delivering a high amount of caf­ feine to the system very quickly. According to Lovett (2005), 90% of adults in North America consume caffeine daily. This means th at most of the patients we encounter in the clinic will have ingested some amount of caffeine before their appointment. The majority of patients th a t are evaluated for dizzi­ ness are using medications to either treat dizziness or another medical condition. It is not uncommon for diz­ ziness clinics to advise patients in advance of their ap­ pointment that they should discontinue all medications (including caffeine), unless contraindicated, for 24 hours prior to testing. This is because some medications can af­ fect responses obtained from the peripheral vestibular system and others that can generate findings that ap­ proximate those of patients with cerebellar or oculomotor

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impairments. However, there is very little definitive in­ formation on how caffeine can affect responses from tests that evaluate vestibular function. That is, there are very few published reports describing the effects of caffeine on quantitative balance tests. In this issue of the Journal o f the American Academy of Audiology, McNemey, Coad, and Burkard have moved us closer to understanding whether or not we should have patients refrain from ingesting caffeine before ves­ tibular testing. The author’s present data showing the effect of caffeine on postural stability in normal subjects as measured by the NeuroCOM SMART Equitest. Spe­ cifically, the authors answer the question of whether having young healthy adults discontinue caffeine 24 hours before their appointment affects their perfor­ mance on the sensory organization test (SOT). Addition­ ally, data is presented describing whether caffeine has an influence on the SOT learning effect. The findings are good news for those patients th at may wish to grab a cup of joe before heading to their 8:00 a.m. balance appointment. Devin L. McCaslin Deputy Editor-in-Chief

REFERENCES Lovett R. (24 September 2005) “Coffee: The demon drink?”. New Scientist (2518). Nathanson JA. (1984) “Caffeine and related methylxanthines: pos­ sible naturally occurring pesticides”. Science 226(4671):184-7.

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