Don’t even THINK about talking to me before I’ve had my fifth cup of coffee!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
We all have a coffee addict in our lives. Maybe YOU’RE one! Some people just can’t go a day without that bitter bean juice. But how does caffeine actually affect our brains?
Isabel Paiva from the University of Strasbourg and team investigated!
The team gave mice caffeine-infused water for two weeks… and had them navigate a maze. They also analyzed genetic material from parts of the brain dealing with learning and memory. Then they compared the caffeinated mice to their non-caffeinated buddies.
Results? Caffeinated mice had an easier time navigating the maze. Why? Genetic analysis showed changes in their gene-activity patterns! They made less digestive proteins. But their brain cells signaled more to each other.
This research suggests caffeine alters brain activity – making it easier for us to form memories!
Now that’s some BREW-tiful science! Makes me jittery…Must have more coffee!
Reference: Paiva, I., Cellai, L., Meriaux, C., Poncelet, L., Nebie, O., Saliou, J. M., Lacoste, A. S., Papegaey, A., Drobecq, H., Le Gras, S., Schneider, M., Malik, E. M., Müller, C. E., Faivre, E., Carvalho, K., Gomez-Murcia, V., Vieau, D., Thiroux, B., Eddarkaoui, S., Lebouvier, T., Schueller, E., Tzeplaeff, L., Grgurina, I., Seguin, J., Stauber, J., Lopez, L. V., Buee, L., Buée-Scherrer, V., Cunha, R. A., Ait-Belkacem, R., Sergeant, N., Annicotte, J-S., Boutillier, A-L., Blum, D. (2022). Caffeine intake exerts dual genome-wide effects on hippocampal metabolism and learning-dependent transcription. Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI149371