How caffeine affects the brain’s ability to learn

A recent analysis conducted by the website Neuromodulation Research Facility Subordinate Butler Hospitalin rhode island, United Statesuggests that Regular consumption of caffeine Can limit capacity brain To learn and recreate. This study, which included 20 people, casts doubt on previous research suggesting that this ingredient enhances… Brain plasticity.

Details of the study published in the journal Frontiers in psychiatry, They focus on impact Caffeine In the LTPIt is an essential process in strengthening neural connections associated with obtaining new information and brain adaptation. Caffeine, known to inhibit adenosine — a brain chemical that causes drowsiness — is traditionally associated with increased alertness.

The researchers looked at brain signals related to learning and memory and found that long-term potentiation (LTP) effects were stronger in individuals who consumed little or no caffeine, compared to those who consumed between one and five caffeinated drinks per day.

In this research, repetitive brain stimulation was used rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) to simulate the brain’s readiness to learn. During the analysis, participants who did not consume caffeinated beverages showed significantly stronger electrical impulses, which are indicators of LTP.

Scientists suggest that Regular caffeine stimulation can have the opposite effect on the brainwhich reduces plasticity levels, although this is Initial hypothesis.

The study has its limitations, as it includes a small sample of only 20 individuals and relies on… Self-reported caffeine intakeThis makes it difficult to determine the exact effect of different doses of caffeine on LTP. Despite this, the results are important for informing future hypotheses.

This experimental work paves the way for further exploration of how caffeine alters the underlying mechanism of learning and memory and its potential impact on the clinical effects of rTMS.

The study authors plan to continue this line of research with future, more precise and accurate studies that strictly regulate caffeine intake and dosage before testing to better estimate bioavailability in the body. The central nervous system And its association with plasticity responses.

They also consider the possibility that “individuals who are more innately plastic (for other reasons) are less attracted to caffeine, and that it is these innate characteristics that drive the overall difference in previous studies, as well as in our findings.”

a Previous search He discovered that “daily caffeine intake can stimulate rapid brain plasticity,” but at the same time “it just happens.” Harmful to cognitive performance Ranking higher in the long run.

The relationship between caffeine and health is complex, with previous studies showing diverse effects, including potential effects Protection against dementia And an increase in Diabetes risk.

“A better understanding of how caffeine alters the underlying mechanism of learning and memory, as well as the potential impact of caffeine on the clinical effects of rTMS, deserves further attention,” the researchers point out.

Through this study, we will be able to understand how our daily caffeine consumption affects our bodies Neuroplasticity It could change in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more research.