London - Coffee doesn’t just perk you up – just one mug a day, experts claimed, can give your memory a boost too.
In a study, scientists said a 200mg caffeine pill – equivalent to a strong mug – taken soon after a learning session improved image recall.
Participants in two groups had to identify pictured objects as either outdoor or indoor items, before taking either the pill or a placebo five minutes later.
Saliva samples were taken beforehand to measure their caffeine levels and again one, three and 24 hours afterwards.
The next day, they were shown some of the same images and similar ones and random new ones.
Both groups correctly identified pictures as being new or old, but those on caffeine were better at spotting the similar alternatives. Those who received the placebo incorrectly identified these as the originals from the day before, showing caffeine enhances certain memories, at least up to 24 hours after it is consumed, according to the findings published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Dr Michael Yassa of the University of California, Irvine, said: “Caffeine enhanced consolidation of long-term memories.
“We have always known caffeine has cognitive enhancing effects.”
The brain’s ability to recognise the difference between two similar items reflected a deeper level of memory retention, and it was the first time a research of this kind had been conducted on humans, the researchers said. – Daily Mail