Does caffeine cessation increase firing rates of diffuse paroxysmal slowing dysrhythmia? A serendipitous observation

As part of a quantitative EEG study of caffeine withdrawal a serendipitous observation suggested that individuals with Diffuse Paroxysmal Slowing (a minor EEG dysrhythmia) in their baseline resting EEGs had an increased firing rate of this pattern while undergoing a period of caffeine abstinence. For all EEGs, individual bursts of Diffuse Paroxysmal Slowing were identified by consensus rating and the firing rate for this pattern expressed as the number of bursts per 10 minutes of alert waking activity. The firing rate of this pattern was seen to increase markedly during 4 days of verified abstinence and to return to baseline or lower than baseline levels following reintroduction of caffeine. Some possible implications of this phenomenon are discussed.