Caffeine and cognition: New study reveals genetic diffs in mental performance

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https://www.psypost.org/caffeine-and-cognition-new-study-reveals-genetic-differences-in-mental-performance/

Feb 27, 2025

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology has revealed that the way caffeine impacts your thinking skills is not just about how much coffee you drink, but also about your genes. Researchers discovered that people with genes for fast caffeine processing performed differently on cognitive tests depending on their caffeine consumption levels, particularly in tasks involving emotion recognition and complex thinking. This suggests that our genetic makeup plays a significant role in how we respond to caffeine’s effects on our brainpower.

Scientists have long been interested in understanding how different substances affect our cognitive abilities, from students trying to boost their study sessions to older adults hoping to maintain sharp minds. Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, and many other drinks, is the most commonly used stimulant in the world and is often considered a potential brain enhancer. While it’s known that caffeine can improve simple mental tasks like paying attention and reacting quickly, its effects on more complex abilities like decision-making are less clear. Some research even suggests that regular caffeine consumption might be linked to better memory and thinking skills, but this is not consistently seen across all studies.

One of the reasons for these inconsistent findings is that people are different. Some people process caffeine faster than others, and this could be due to variations in their genes. These genetic differences might explain why some individuals experience a strong boost from caffeine while others feel little effect, or even negative effects like anxiety or sleep problems. But any studies on caffeine and thinking skills haven’t taken into account the daily habits of participants, such as their usual caffeine intake, or other lifestyle factors like sleep and diet, which can also influence cognitive performance.

The researchers behind the new study wanted to investigate how an individual’s genes, specifically those related to caffeine processing, interact with their usual caffeine consumption to affect various aspects of their cognitive abilities in everyday life. They aimed to look at a broad range of thinking skills, including social and emotional understanding, memory, attention, and complex problem-solving.

To conduct their study, the researchers recruited 129 adults living in the United Kingdom. Participants were carefully selected to exclude anyone with known brain disorders or vision problems, and those taking medications that could interfere with caffeine processing. The study was conducted remotely over three days. First, participants completed an online questionnaire about their background, health, lifestyle, and typical consumption of caffeinated drinks and foods. This questionnaire included questions about their age, gender, education level, physical activity, sleep quality, and use of tobacco and alcohol. To estimate their usual caffeine intake, participants filled out a detailed food questionnaire that listed common sources of caffeine like tea, coffee, chocolate, and soft drinks.

Next, over a period of up to two weeks, participants completed a series of cognitive tests online from their own homes. They were asked to perform these tests on the same device, in a quiet environment, and at least five hours after their last caffeine or alcohol intake. This time frame was chosen to ensure that participants were not experiencing the immediate effects of caffeine or alcohol, nor were they likely to be in caffeine withdrawal. Before each testing session, participants also rated their sleepiness level. The cognitive test battery included four different tasks designed to measure specific thinking skills.

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