INSIDE NEUROSCIENCE: Is caffeine truly a memory enhancer?

By Nishi Patel | Contributing Author
Dr. Stephanie Grella | Credibility Partner

It’s no secret that caffeine can provide a multitude of benefits, including its energizing effect and helping people focus more in class or at work. However, some of the less obvious benefits you might not be aware of include increased athletic performance, anti-inflammatory effects, and a mood boost due to the release of dopamine in the brain following caffeine consumption. 

Lately, caffeine’s impact on memory has become a more prevalent conversation, with some claiming that caffeine is a memory enhancer. Although this sounds like a great benefit, research indicates that caffeine may help with these phenomena referred to as 'memory encoding' and ‘consolidation’ as opposed to 'retrieval'. But first, let's break down what that means. 

Breaking down memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval:

Let's talk about how we learn. When newly learned information is taken in and transformed into a form that the brain can store, this is referred to as encoding. However, remembering that same information later on is called retrieval. At the cellular level, in order to encode information, the brain needs to take a few steps. 

First, after “information” enters the brain, which is just what our senses pick up from the world around us, our brains need to transform this information into electrical signals that can move from neuron to neuron. These signals are then sent to the thalamus of the brain, which is responsible for transmitting sensory information to the cerebral cortex, which is a structure used for many things, including sensory processing and interpreting. Before memories can become long-term, they sit in a working memory “phase” for a little bit. This essentially means that the memory stays within your conscious awareness as long as you are actively thinking about it. 

In order to consolidate, or strengthen this new information into long-term memory, the brain uses the hippocampus to communicate with the cortex. The hippocampus is the primary region in the brain that is actually behind forming our memories. Eventually, after consolidation, or after our memories get strengthened, this information is now in our long-term memory– we have now formally embedded that information into our brains.

Now, to resurface that memory, like, for example, trying to remember an equation on an exam, your brain needs to retrieve that memory. During retrieval, the initial neurons that were fired while first forming the memory are now being fired again to try and recreate it. It is the complex interplay of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and specific neurotransmitter release that makes this all happen, and it's happening right now as you’re reading this. 

So where does caffeine come in? Why does caffeine help encoding and consolidation, but not retrieval?

Before we dive into this question, it’s important to note that caffeine is a stimulant drug, which means it is known and widely appreciated for making people more awake and alert. According to Dr. Stephanie Grella, a professor for the Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program at Loyola University in Chicago, these stimulating effects aid in encoding specifically. She explains, 

“While caffeine is often thought to enhance memory, current evidence suggests its impact on memory is mixed and largely indirect. Any apparent cognitive boost seems to come more from improved attention and reaction time, likely due to its stimulant effects, which can aid in memory encoding but do not directly enhance memory storage or recall.” 

In a research study conducted by Borata et al., it was indicated that caffeine consumption has a relevant influence on the consolidation phase; however, they found that the retrieval of memories is likely not impacted by consuming caffeine. To observe these effects, they took a group of healthy adults who were not regular caffeine consumers as the subjects and either gave them a 200mg tablet of caffeine or a placebo tablet before taking a memory test. The subjects who had taken the caffeine showed slightly better performance compared to the individuals who took the placebo. 

However, it is important to note that the dosage was administered after the individuals studied the information that was going to be on the test before they slept. This time setup ensured that the results were isolated to the impact on consolidation, not retrieval. Since the testing took place when both groups were caffeine-free, the improved score associated with the caffeinated group is unlikely due to retrieval effects, but rather for consolidation improvement. This, alongside similar studies, appears to follow this trend that caffeine does not seem to affect how well we can actually retrieve information. 

How should caffeine be used to benefit my encoding and consolidation?

Understanding that caffeine can have a noticeable impact on encoding and consolidation but not on retrieval may still benefit many. This means that consuming caffeine before, during, or after studying could potentially support students in learning and retaining material more effectively, rather than drinking caffeine only right before an exam. Similarly, in the workplace, having caffeine when learning a new skill or procedure might help strengthen the initial learning process, making it easier to apply that knowledge later on.

So scratch the caffeine: How can I retrieve better?

Sorry to burst your bubble with that insight, but on a brighter note, there are many ways you can improve the retrieval of memories. In fact, it's not as hard as you might think- simple lifestyle changes may indirectly improve your memory retrieval. 

According to a recent article by the Mayo Clinic, being physically active every day, prioritizing seven to nine hours of sleep a night, and implementing some other healthy lifestyle choices can help with the retrieval of memories and overall memory health. These small lifestyle choices may indirectly remove memory-inhibiting toxins like amyloid beta plaques, which are linked to certain neurodegenerative disorders, from the body. These small lifestyle choices can also help memories consolidate more efficiently, and help with overall cognitive function, which are all things that will help not only retrieval, but also overall memory health.
So, before you go for a triple shot espresso to try and save you right before that exam, maybe try to get some exercise and sleep in before the test. It may be those small factors instead of a triple shot espresso that'll help you bag that A+! The true power lies in your mind, not in that cup of coffee.