Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that caffeine has the ability to block a signal that induces inflammation in the brain. Neuroinflammation is directly linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The effects of caffeine were examined on memory formation in mice treated with hypoxia to stimulate an interruption of blood flow, leading to neurodegeneration within the oxygen-deprived area. It was found that mice treated with caffeine recovered memory formation much faster than mice without caffeine administration. It was proposed that caffeine blocks the damaging effects of hypoxia by blocking a molecule released in the process named adenosine, a key player in inflammation following oxygen deprivation. This event limits brain damage normally seen following hypoxia treatment. Caffeine’s ability to block adenosine has been linked to its neuroprotective effects in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
This finding may eventually allow for the development of drugs that could reverse or block cognitive impairment altogether, specifically by finding the particular receptor important for adenosine signaling and developing an antagonist to that receptor.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121009121805.htm