For many people, the day doesn't truly start until they've had a cup of coffee to wake themselves up, feel more alert, and improve their efficiency. A study has shown that the essential morning coffee may act as a placebo. Portuguese scientists studied coffee drinkers to understand whether the alertness effect depends on the properties of caffeine or the experience of drinking coffee. They recruited individuals who drank at least one cup of coffee daily and conducted two brief MRI scans - one before and one after consuming coffee or hot water with the same amount of caffeine.
Analysis of the brain scans revealed that the connectivity of the default mode network - involved in processes of contemplation and self-reflection - decreased after consuming coffee and caffeine. This indicates that both made individuals more ready to shift from a "resting" state to a "working" state on tasks. However, drinking coffee also increased connectivity in the upper visual network and the right executive control network - areas of the brain involved in working memory, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior. This effect did not occur when participants consumed hot water containing caffeine.
In other words, the researchers stated, if you don't want to just feel alert, caffeine alone will not benefit you. The first author, Dr. Maria Peco Pérez from Jaume I University, said, "In simple terms, people were more ready to work and react to external stimuli after drinking coffee. Considering that some of the effects we found are mediated by caffeine, we can expect other caffeinated beverages to share some effects. However, others were specific to drinking coffee, driven by factors such as the unique smell and taste of the beverage, or the psychological expectations associated with consuming it."
The researchers noted that it may be possible to gain these benefits from the experience of drinking decaffeinated coffee as well - but their study could not confirm this. The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
