Drinking Coffee Can Benefit Long-Term Memory

Consuming the amount of caffeine found in 2 cups of coffee is enough to enhance long-term memory, according to a new study. Previous studies have shown the effects of caffeine on cognitive performance, but no study has tested the impact of the drug on long-term memory. To further explore this subject, Daniel Borota and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore showed a series of images to 160 participants (18-30 years of age) who were not regular coffee drinkers, asking them to identify each image as either “indoors” or “outdoors.” After the test, participants were randomized to either 200 mg of caffeine (about the amount found in 2 cups of coffee) or placebo. Researchers took saliva samples from the participants before caffeine pills were administered, then again 1, 3, and 24 hours afterward to track caffeine levels. The following day, participants were asked to look at the same series of images and to identify any images in the series that had not appeared on the first day’s test. The new images were often very similar in appearance to the originals. Researchers found that participants given caffeine pills had better pattern separation—meaning they were better able to identify that the similar images were, in fact, new images. Additional tests were conducted with 100 mg and 300 mg supplements, revealing that while those taking 200 mg outperformed the 100 mg group, there was no change between the 200 mg and 300 mg group. Memory performance was also not significantly improved if caffeine was administered before the test, rather than after. The full study was published in Nature Neuroscience. –Michael Potts Borota D, Murray E, Keceli G, Change A, et al. Post-study caffeine administration enhances memory consolidation in humans [published online ahead of print January 12, 2014]. Nature Neuroscience doi:10.1038/nn.3623