A study by researchers from the National University of Singapore showed that caffeine can partially restore memory damaged by lack of sleep.
During the experiments, scientists simulated sleep deprivation in a laboratory setting, then gave the participants caffeine for a week and subjected them to medical examinations focusing on the hippocampus in the brain, specifically the CA2 region, which plays a key role in the formation of social memory.
Researchers have found that sleep deprivation disrupts synaptic plasticity – the ability of nerve cells to communicate effectively with each other – leading to a decline in memory and the ability to recognize familiar people. However, caffeine helps restore these processes, as consuming it restores the connections between nerve cells to normal, and memory disturbances disappear.
Researchers explained this effect by saying that caffeine inhibits adenosine receptors - signals that accumulate during wakefulness and inhibit brain activity. They also noted that its effect is selective: it rebuilt damaged neural circuits without causing excessive stimulation.
The researchers emphasize that these findings do not mean that coffee can replace adequate sleep, but they do show that caffeine can affect specific mechanisms of sleep-deprived memory decline and may be used to support cognitive functions.
