A recent NYU study reveals that listening to music and drinking coffee can noticeably boost cognitive performance. The findings were published in Scientific Reports, a journal linked to the Nature family of publications.
Researchers tracked brain activity in real time as participants tackled a series of cognitive tasks. To gather data, volunteers wore specialized devices on their wrists and heads, and the resulting signals were interpreted with artificial intelligence.
During testing, participants completed tasks under the influence of different stimulants, including music, coffee, and perfume, alongside a control condition with no stimuli.
Results indicated an uptick in beta brainwave activity—an indicator linked to heightened cognitive functioning—when participants were exposed to music or coffee. Notably, AI-generated music was associated with particularly strong enhancements in brain performance. Coffee produced a clear but smaller boost, while perfume yielded the least pronounced improvement.
Earlier research had identified an even simpler route to cognitive enhancement, pointing to a marked improvement in sleep-related cognition under certain conditions.