The Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Function Across Developmental and Adult Populations: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Caffeine, Cognitive effectsAbstract
Caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive substances in society, with about 69% of the U.S. population consuming at least one caffeinated beverage per day. While caffeine’s effect in adults is well researched, its impact on the developing brain remains poorly understood. Because the adolescent brain is still undergoing neurodevelopment, such as synaptic pruning, myelination, and maturation of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, caffeine may affect cognitive processes differently in adolescents compared to mature brains. Additionally, the effect of caffeine on the brain may be altered by age-related differences in caffeine metabolism and the regulation of sleep. This systematic review synthesizes evidence examining the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive functioning across developmental and adult populations. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed to identify papers and studies assessing caffeine exposure and cognitive outcomes using behavioral tasks, standardized cognitive batteries, questionnaires, and neuroimaging methods. The paper contains various study designs and outcome measures; therefore, a qualitative synthesis was performed to better draw conclusions from them. Overall, my findings indicate that caffeine is more consistently associated with acute cognitive benefits in adults, especially in attention, reaction time, and executive function. Though in the elder adult population (+65 years old or older), caffeine intake was not associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. In contrast, studies in developmental populations (under 18 years old) report neutral or negative effects of caffeine intake on cognitive and behavioral outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of considering the individual's age when evaluating caffeine’s cognitive effects. Ultimately, this research paper argues that more cautious approaches and usage of caffeine during periods of neurodevelopment are needed.
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