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Coffee 'Can Make The Mind Go Blank'
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 7-20-2004 | Nic Fleming

Posted on 07/19/2004 8:18:05 PM PDT by blam

Coffee 'can make mind go blank'

By Nic Fleming
(Filed: 20/07/2004)

Drinking coffee can cause tip-of-the-tongue moments when the brain struggles to retrieve information, according to a study.

Caffeine, widely held to make people more alert, can make the mind go blank or struggle to switch between trains of thought.

It can help the brain process information rapidly but interferes once the brain tries to switch between subjects, researchers claim.

Volunteers were split into two groups, with one given 200 milligrams of caffeine - the equivalent of two cups of coffee. They then answered 100 questions after reading 10 "priming words" with between two and eight of the words sounding similar to the answer.

Caffeine appeared to help participants find the correct answers when primed with many similar sounding words. But when there were more unrelated priming words they suffered more tip-of-the-tongue moments than those who had not had coffee.

The study, by researchers in Italy, is published in Behavioral Neuroscience.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: blank; coffee; go; make; mentalhealth; mind
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To: Scenic Sounds; Southflanknorthpawsis
Caffeine, widely held to make people more alert, can make the mind go blank or struggle to switch between trains of thought.

Well, here's the problem.

Better switch to decaf.

41 posted on 07/19/2004 9:23:04 PM PDT by Amelia
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To: blam

I only get those tip-of-the-tongue moments (affectionately called "train wrecks" for when your train of thought... oh, you get it...) when I have too much blood in my coffee stream.


42 posted on 07/19/2004 9:40:32 PM PDT by calenel (Peace Through Strength, and when necessary, Peace Through Victory!)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Caffeine, widely held to make people more alert, can make the mind go blank or struggle to switch between trains of thought.

Looks like I'm going to have to cut back on the coffee. I wonder if that will help. LOL!

43 posted on 07/19/2004 9:40:56 PM PDT by NRA2BFree (Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.)
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To: NRA2BFree

Well, it's worth a try ;)


44 posted on 07/19/2004 9:41:50 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: potlatch
Well, that explains it then!!!

Explains what?

45 posted on 07/19/2004 9:45:46 PM PDT by Ichneumon ("...she might as well have been a space alien." - Bill Clinton, on Hillary, "My Life", p. 182)
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To: Ichneumon; blam

It explains why I have "tip-of-the-tongue moments", LOL! I drink a lot of coffee.


46 posted on 07/19/2004 9:48:57 PM PDT by potlatch (HECK IS WHERE PEOPLE GO WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOSH)
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To: potlatch

Coffee is...ummm...ha ha ha! Why I laugh?


47 posted on 07/19/2004 9:58:27 PM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (To find the Democratic Party HQ, just follow the sound of the cuckoo clock.)
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To: potlatch
It explains why I have "tip-of-the-tongue moments", LOL! I drink a lot of coffee.

Was my post too subtle? ;-)

48 posted on 07/19/2004 9:58:35 PM PDT by Ichneumon ("...she might as well have been a space alien." - Bill Clinton, on Hillary, "My Life", p. 182)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Well, it's worth a try:)

OK, I'll cut down to 6 cups a day and see what happens. THEN I bet I can name the capitals of ALL "40" states. LOL!! ;-)

49 posted on 07/19/2004 10:02:15 PM PDT by NRA2BFree (Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.)
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To: Ichneumon; blam; WestVirginiaRebel

LOL, MY post must have been the subtle one. Poor Blam must have been having one of those 'moments' because he never wondered what I meant!


50 posted on 07/19/2004 10:02:37 PM PDT by potlatch (HECK IS WHERE PEOPLE GO WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOSH)
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To: blam

51 posted on 07/19/2004 10:03:17 PM PDT by Solamente
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To: Anvilhead
I'm making a coffee flavored caffeinated cigarette.

Mmmm, maybe we could just dry the grounds and smoke 'em?

52 posted on 07/19/2004 10:36:57 PM PDT by DeFault User
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To: blam

Well then, it's time to ban or heavily tax it then in order to protect the public from the demon bean.


53 posted on 07/19/2004 11:04:28 PM PDT by flashbunny (Taxes are not levied for the benefit of the taxed.)
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To: blam

Bullfeathers.


54 posted on 07/19/2004 11:07:30 PM PDT by Graymatter (Kerry medical records are none of our business---and his veep pick is, who???)
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To: blam



Time for more coffee


55 posted on 07/19/2004 11:44:19 PM PDT by Clemenza
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To: Indy Pendance; xsmommy; CholeraJoe; theDentist; Gabz

Hey way cool!

(Er, hot.)

I'm trying to cut down .....

Really.

Yep, I'm down to maybe only two - three pots a day.


56 posted on 07/19/2004 11:48:37 PM PDT by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly ... But Kerry's ABBCNNBCBS press corpse lies every day.)
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To: potlatch

My thoughts exactly!...although a bit delayed...;)


57 posted on 07/20/2004 1:37:12 AM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry has been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security)
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To: Eaker; humblegunner; thackney; MacDorcha; SAMWolf; The Mayor; Professional Engineer; Fedora

I just figured out what it is my coffee does!!


58 posted on 07/20/2004 5:23:45 AM PDT by Darksheare (Show compassion, club a baby troll today!)
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To: Darksheare

59 posted on 07/20/2004 5:27:58 AM PDT by The Mayor (By one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.)
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To: The Mayor

I can't resist.. coffee's gravity well too strong..
I.. must.. have.. coffee...
*blank mind, sated goofy caffiene grin*


60 posted on 07/20/2004 5:34:21 AM PDT by Darksheare (Show compassion, club a baby troll today!)
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