Scientists for the first time described in detail the functional changes that occur in the brain of people regularly by consuming coffee. It turned out that caffeine strengthens the relationship between different brain departments, which helps to increase attention, focus, improve memory and cognitive functions. The results of the study are published in Molecular Psychiatry magazine.
The effect of caffeine for mental performance was repeatedly considered in various observational studies, the results of which invariably confirmed that coffee improves attention and vigilance, increases the indicators of general motility, learning and memory. It is also known that caffeine leads to an excitability of the central nervous system, increases physical endurance, normalizes anxiety. However, so far the neurobiological causes of all these effects at the detailed level were not studied.
Portuguese researchers from the medical faculty of the University of Minho, together with Danish colleagues from the University of Aarhus, first used the technology of functional magnetic resonance tomography (FMRT) to compare the activity of brain ties in those who use coffee daily, and those who do not drink it at all. The first group includes 31 people, in the second – 24.
“This is the first case when the effect of regular coffee on the brain network is studied at such a level of detail, – are given in the press release of the Institute of Coffee Information (ISIC), which financed the work, the words of the head of the study of Nuno Souza (NUNO SOUSA) , Professor of the Medical Faculty of the University of Minho. – Using FMRT technology, we were able to observe the effect of coffee on functional connections and the structure of the brain, and also established differences between those who regularly drink coffee, and those who do not drink coffee, real-time. “
“These results, at least partially, helped to explain at the mechanistic level some effects of coffee, noted in existing studies, such as improving control of motorities, vigilance and memory, as well as an increase in learning abilities,” says the storage.
The authors have found that the coffee lovers have strengthened the connection between the Talamus and the cerebellum, which is responsible for motor control. Scientists also noted their increased dynamic activity between several cerebelling and subcortex areas of the brain – cerebellum, striped body, thalamus, paragapocampal, linguing and lower heading convolutions. According to researchers, this activity explains such effects as an increase in concentration and attention, as well as improved learning and memory.
Interestingly, similar structural differences in brain relations the authors were observed in the second group, in those who usually do not drink coffee shortly after they drank a cup of this drink. From here, the researchers conclude that the changes that causes caffeine in the brain is likely to be short-term.