American scientists from Brown University and Butler Hospital in Rhode Island examined how chronic caffeine consumption affects the brain’s ability to learn and adapt. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Frontiers in Psychiatry (FIP).
Caffeine remains a common stimulant, found not only in coffee but also in tea, soda, and other foods. This substance helps improve concentration, but its effect on brain neuroplasticity is not fully understood. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change under the influence of experience and reestablish lost neural connections.
To learn more about the effects of long-term exposure to caffeine on the brain, scientists used a method called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTSM). They applied magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain to create changes in neural activity and mimic processes associated with neuroplasticity.
20 people participated in the experiment. Of these, 16 consume caffeine regularly, while the remaining four avoid caffeine-containing products.
Researchers found that participants who consumed caffeine regularly had different brain responses compared to those who did not. The brains of those who avoided caffeine showed a stronger response to neuronal stimulation. Caffeine drinkers also showed a neural response, but it was significantly weaker.
This means that chronic caffeine users have a reduced capacity for brain plasticity associated with learning and memory.
“Our findings suggest that chronic caffeine consumption may blunt synaptic plasticity, thought to be the cellular basis of learning and memory,” said study authors Joshua Brown and Megan Vigne.
Caffeine affects neuroplasticity in two ways, the scientists added. Previous studies have shown that the stimulant can improve memory and cognitive abilities. However, the effect is reversed with long-term use.
Previous researchers developed Learning and memory of mice with the help of coffee.