Scientists from the University of Haume discovered that the invigorating effect of coffee may be due in part to the placebo effect, namely the belief that the drink helps wake up. Research published in the journal Boundaries in Behavioral Neuroscience.
The scientists recruited people who drank at least one cup of coffee a day and asked them to avoid eating or drinking caffeinated beverages for at least three hours before the study. Participants underwent MRI before and 30 minutes after ingestion of caffeine or a standard cup of coffee. During a functional MRI, participants were asked to relax and let their thoughts wander.
MRI scans showed that coffee drinkers had reduced functionality in the default mode network, as well as connections between motor networks and the prefrontal cortex. This means that participants actually become more alert after coffee.
However, for those taking the caffeine pill, connections in the higher visual network and executive control network, parts of the brain related to working memory, mental control, and conscious behavior were unchanged.
The result shows that caffeine on its own can make a person more alert, but coffee is better at increasing work readiness. The authors believe that this may be due to the taste or smell of the coffee, substances other than caffeine found in the coffee, or psychological expectations associated with drinking the beverage.
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