Gestion de la vigilance au poste de travail : intérêt de la caféine à libération prolongée

This article gives an overview about a new pharmacological form of caffeine, called slowrelease caffeine (SRC). In sleep-deprived subjects, 300-mg SRC maintains cognitive performance and alertness during a 6-h period from 90 min following the intake (needed for the caffeine plasma level of efficiency to be reached) without any of the unwanted minor effects observed with coffee intake, such as tachycardia, trembling or increased diuresis. The interest for the use of SRC in situations of prolonged work, shift work or sleep/wakefulness rhythms disruptions, and of jet lag has been demonstrated. SRC has been shown to be of interest for military settings including continuous operations. It could also be useful for reducing the risk of road or industrial accidents in case of increased cognitive load over a short period of time.