How Does Caffeine Affect Your Learning?

In the Organic Chemistry I laboratory, caffeine was extracted from tea using dichloromethane. This experiment sparked an interest in exploring the effects of caffeine consumption on the learning process. Caffeine, a widely consumed psychoactive substance found in various consumer products and medications, exerts significant physiological effects on the central nervous system (Khalique Ahmed & Ahmad, 2023). While it is often perceived to enhance cognitive performance, its primary action is the temporary alleviation of caffeine withdrawal symptoms (Kalumuck, 2019; Thau and Sharma, 2020),creating a misleading sense of improved function. Due to its structural similarity to adenosine and its high hydrophobicity and lipophilicity, caffeine efficiently crosses the blood-brain barrier, influencing neurotransmitter activity and disrupting neurochemical balance (Willson, 2018). These alterations can impact key cognitive processes, including memory, attention, sleep, mood, and overall brain health. When consumed in excess, particularly by young children during critical developmental stages, caffeine may impair cognitive function and hinder learning. This article presents a comprehensive review of current research on caffeine’s neurological effects, emphasizing its implications for student performance and cognitive development.