Consuming a significant amount of caffeine on a daily basis may hinder the brain’s ability to rewire itself, according to a study analyzing brain signals linked to learning and memory formation.
Researchers from the Neuromodulation Research Facility at the Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, conducted an analysis of brain signals in 20 individuals and uncovered surprising details challenging the assumption that caffeine promotes plasticity.
“These preliminary findings emphasize the need for well-powered studies to directly test the effects of caffeine, as they suggest that chronic caffeine consumption could potentially limit learning and plasticity,” wrote the researchers in a published paper.
Caffeine, known for blocking adenosine, a brain chemical that induces sleepiness, is often associated with increased alertness. However, adenosine also plays a role in long-term potentiation (LTP), a crucial process in strengthening connections between brain neurons to facilitate learning and adaptation over time.
In a brain stimulation study using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 16 regular caffeine consumers and 4 non-consumers showed significantly stronger LTP effects in the non-consumers.
According to the researchers, regular caffeine stimulation might counteract the brain’s plasticity, potentially explaining the lower levels of plasticity observed in the caffeine consumers. However, this hypothesis requires further investigation.
It’s worth noting that this study involved a small sample size and relied on self-reported caffeine dosages, limiting the researchers’ ability to draw definitive conclusions. Future studies with precise controls on caffeine intake are needed to better understand the impact of caffeine on plasticity.
Given the complex relationship between caffeine and health, further research is necessary to understand how caffeine affects learning, memory, and the clinical effects of rTMS.
The research has been published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
