Last week I read an article on how you can improve your memory by eating chocolate. I personally love chocolate so it was nice to read that it is actually helping me improve my memory. I eat chocolate occasionally but I am completely dependent on coffee. Bur does coffee have an affect on memory? I think caffeine should have a positive affect on memory because it fights against the fatigue we experience when we are doing a long task. I also seem to feel more energized after a cup of coffee in the morning. While looking for articles I hoped that I would find a positive correlation between drinking coffee and a better memory because I cannot imagine starting my day without coffee.
Research has shown that coffee can have positive effects on short-term memory by acting on the prefrontal cortex. Researchers from the Medical University at Innsbruck, Austria used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 15 participants to see the effects of coffee on the brain. Before the start of the study, the subjects fasted for 4-6 hours and refrained from having caffeine and nicotine for at least a 24-hour period. The subjects were then given a cup of coffee or a caffeine free drink. After 20 minutes, fMRI scans were performed on the subjects while they completed memory tasks.
The results of this study showed that regardless of what the subjects drank; activation in the prefrontal lobe was seen. A significant difference was found in the amount of activation in this area depending on what the subjects drank. During the memory task, those who drank coffee had more activation in the prefrontal lobe, specifically the anterior cingulated and the anterior cingulated gyrus. These areas are important for executive memory processes, attention, concentration, planning, and monitoring. The researchers do not know how long caffeine’s effects on memory last.
I thought this research was very interesting, but I believe more research needs to be done. Future research on this subject should focus on how caffeine helps memory and how long its effects last. It would also be interesting to see if the time of day that one drinks coffee has an affect on memory.
Research has shown that coffee can have positive effects on short-term memory by acting on the prefrontal cortex. Researchers from the Medical University at Innsbruck, Austria used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 15 participants to see the effects of coffee on the brain. Before the start of the study, the subjects fasted for 4-6 hours and refrained from having caffeine and nicotine for at least a 24-hour period. The subjects were then given a cup of coffee or a caffeine free drink. After 20 minutes, fMRI scans were performed on the subjects while they completed memory tasks.
The results of this study showed that regardless of what the subjects drank; activation in the prefrontal lobe was seen. A significant difference was found in the amount of activation in this area depending on what the subjects drank. During the memory task, those who drank coffee had more activation in the prefrontal lobe, specifically the anterior cingulated and the anterior cingulated gyrus. These areas are important for executive memory processes, attention, concentration, planning, and monitoring. The researchers do not know how long caffeine’s effects on memory last.
I thought this research was very interesting, but I believe more research needs to be done. Future research on this subject should focus on how caffeine helps memory and how long its effects last. It would also be interesting to see if the time of day that one drinks coffee has an affect on memory.
The article can be found here: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8401
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