Paracetamol sharpens reflection and spatial memory: a double-blind randomized controlled study in healthy volunteers

Figures & data

Figure 1 Consort 2010 flow diagram.

Abbreviation: APAP, acetaminophen.

Table 1 Comparison of cognitive tests differences with paracetamol (APAP) and placebo between baseline T0 and T2h (mean [SEM])

Test	T2h–T0		P-value
	APAP	Placebo
Reaction time
Reaction time (ms)	0.89 (0.03)	0.41 (0.03)	0.7
Reaction time movement (ms)	4.8 (14.23)	−20 (10.75)	0.5
Stockings of Cambridge
Initial thinking time (five moves) (ms)	−809 (44.27)	−5 (7.12)	0.04
Subsequent thinking time (ms)	−252 (110.84)	69 (69.57)	0.4
Problems solved in minimum moves	0.8 (0.27)	0.2 (0.19)	0.07
Information sampling task
Discrimination errors	−0.3 (0.14)	0.25 (0.14)	0.05
Sampling errors	−0.25 (0.14)	−0.05 (0.01)	0.4
Box opening latency (ms)	−59 (21.19)	−25 (17.55)	0.04
Color decision latency (ms)	−147 (211.71)	−732 (154.64)	0.08
Mean number of boxes opened per trial (ms)	1.1 (0.46)	−1.4 (0.40)	0.03
Pattern recognition memory
Latency (ms)	−130 (23.88)	−84 (20.08)	0.2
Numbers incorrect	0.2 (0.15)	0.4 (0.13)	0.2
Percent incorrect	0.6 (0.62)	1.8 (0.55)	0.2
Delayed matching to sample total correct
Delayed matching to sample total correct	0.1 (0.32)	−0.1 (0.35)	0.2

Abbreviations: APAP, acetaminophen; SEM, standard error of the mean.

Figure 2 Comparison of cognitive tests differences with paracetamol (APAP) and placebo between baseline T0 and T2h (mean ± SEM).

Notes: (A) Stockings of Cambridge and (B) information sampling task.
Abbreviations: APAP, acetaminophen; ms, millisecond; NS, not significant; SEM, standard error of the mean.