Caffeine boosts cognitive performance in elderly
Cognitive functions (reaction time, rate of information perception and treatment) remain more or less stable until 60 years and tend to significantly slow down between 60 and 80 years. Recent research even suggests that brain function can start to deteriorate as early as 45. However, both the rate and extent of this cognitive decline vary between individuals.
In many studies, young and elderly subjects appear to respond to the effects of caffeine differently. Overall, older adults are more sensitive to the stimulating effects of caffeine on cognitive function, than younger subjects. The quantity of caffeine consumed may also influence the cognitive performance of older adults.
Two early studies on elderly subjects showed improved attention, psychomotor (of, or relating to, movement or muscular activity associated with mental processes) performance and cognitive functioning with caffeine. The elderly appeared more sensitive to the protective effects of caffeine on declining mental performance over time, than the younger subjects in the studies.
Another study showed that, in young subjects (18-37 years), caffeine improved performance during distraction, rather than during simple tasks. In elderly subjects (60-75 years) however, caffeine improved performance during more complex tasks, requiring sustained attention.
It appears that caffeine is able to reverse the effects of cognitive ageing, by making more energy resources available in elderly subjects.
In addition, a British study of 9,003 adult subjects reported a dose-related improvement in cognitive performance on a variety of tasks with higher levels of caffeine consumption (from both coffee and tea). Once again, older people appeared more susceptible to the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine on mental performance than younger subjects.
Besides caffeine, other components in coffee may also enhance cognitive performance in older adults. For example, a recent pilot study on 39 healthy participants, aged 53-79 years, found that decaffeinated coffee enriched with chlorogenic acids improved mood and some mood-related behaviors, compared to regular decaffeinated coffee.
Original source: http://www.coffeeandhealth.org/