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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

That quick morning coffee might lead to enduring brain changes

Animal experiments reveal the molecular effects of caffeine on neurons and other brain cells.
Confocal light micrograph of a section through the hippocampus of the human brain showing neurons in green fluorescent.

Caffeine affects gene activity in neurons (green) in a brain region called the hippocampus. Credit: C.J. Guerin, PhD, MRC Toxicology Unit/SPL

Caffeine might do more than provide a temporary boost in alertness — it could also create long-lasting changes in the brain1.

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Nature 606, 230 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01487-4

References

  1. Paiva, I. et al. J. Clin. Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI149371 (2022).

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