Caffeine reduces accuracy in face recognition memory consolidation.
Candela S Leon1,2, Agustina L Lo Celso1, Rocío A Guajardo1
1Laboratorio de Sueño y Memoria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Iguazú 341, 1437, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scientific Reports
|July 16, 2025
Summary
Caffeine after learning did not improve face memory consolidation in a study of 97 participants. Instead, caffeine impaired recognition, suggesting it hinders distinguishing similar faces.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Caffeine is known to enhance cognition, particularly memory, when taken before learning.
- Its role in memory consolidation, especially after learning, is less understood.
- Previous research suggests post-learning caffeine may improve object recognition memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of caffeine administered after learning on face recognition memory consolidation.
- To determine if caffeine enhances or impairs the ability to distinguish similar faces post-learning.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind study involving 97 participants.
- Participants viewed faces on Day 1, then received 200 mg caffeine or placebo.
- Recognition memory was tested on Day 2 using similar target and distractor faces.
Main Results:
- Caffeine consumption after learning did not enhance face recognition memory consolidation.
- A general impairment in recognition performance was observed in the caffeine group.
- Results suggest caffeine reduced the ability to discriminate between previously seen and novel, similar faces.
Conclusions:
- Contrary to expectations, post-encoding caffeine did not benefit face memory consolidation.
- Findings challenge the view of caffeine as a universal cognition enhancer.
- Caffeine may enhance global processing at the cost of detailed discrimination in memory tasks.
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