BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF REPEATED CAFFEINE EXPOSURE IN ADOLESCENT FEMALE AND MALE RATS ASSESSED IN THE MCSF

The accessibility of caffeinated beverages has increased in recent years with marketing targeting adolescents and young adults. Since the adolescent brain is still developing, it may be more vulnerable to psychostimulant exposure. However, how repeated caffeine consumption affects the overall behavior during adolescence is not established. The aim of this study was to investigate a behavior profile of adolescent female and male Wistar rats exposed to repeated caffeine consumption. The rats received caffeine sodium benzoate (25 mg/kg) or sodium benzoate (25 mg/kg) (controls) once daily for seven days, and behavioral profiling in the multivariate concentric square field test was conducted 30 min after the last injection. The statistical comparison were made within the sexes, control versus treated. Caffeine-treated females showed reduced risk-taking and exploratory activity, accompanied by increased risk-assessment behavior, in comparison to their controls. In males, caffeine treatment was associated with reduced shelter seeking and exploratory activity relative to controls. The distance travelled and the velocity of the animals did not differ between treated and control for either sex. These findings suggest sex-dependent behavioral effects of repeated caffeine exposure during adolescence. Further studies in both sexes are needed to clarify the psychostimulant-like effects of caffeine during this developmental period.