Caffeine may be the cure for dementia: Research

Two studies were conducted by the researchers from the University of South Florida at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) showing positive effects of caffeine on the improvement of memory in mice.

Neuroscientist Dr Gary Arendash, who led the research, said: "The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable 'treatment' for established Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a protective strategy.

"That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process," he added.

First experiment on mice
The scientists tested the first caffeine theory on 55 mice genetically engineered to develop high levels of beta-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer's in human brains.

They were given 500 milligrams of caffeine in their drinking water when they aged 18 - 19 months old (about 70 human years). The remaining half of the mice received plain drinking water.

At the end of two months, the mice were tested. It was observed that the caffeinated mice performed better in the thinking skills and memory tests while those drinking plain water continued to do poorly in the tests.

In fact the brains of the mice given caffeine showed nearly a 50 percent reduction in levels of the beta amyloid protein, which forms destructive clumps in the brains of dementia patients.

Dr. Huntington Potter, director of ADRC stated, "These are some of the most promising Alzheimer's mouse experiments ever done showing that caffeine rapidly reduces beta amyloid protein in the blood, an effect that is mirrored in the brain, and this reduction is linked to cognitive benefit."

The second test
The second experiment was conducted as a follow-up, this time using normal mice, those that had not been engineered to get Alzheimer's disease. The mice were administered caffeine.

The researchers found that caffeine did not improve the memory of normal mice as it did for the Alzheimer's mice.

"This suggests that caffeine will not increase memory performance above normal levels. Rather, it appears to benefit those destined to develop Alzheimer's disease," Arendash said.

Expert's views
Arendash acknowledges the limitations of the studies and wants to conduct human clinical trials on caffeine.

Dr. Potter said, "Our goal is to obtain the funding needed to translate the therapeutic discoveries in mice into well-designed clinical trials."

Rebecca Wood from the Alzheimer's Research Trust said: "We need to do more research to find out whether this effect will be seen in people. With no cure yet, research into treatments that could help people with Alzheimer's is vital."

The studies are published in the online edition of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.