Rats get a whiff of how coffee stirs the brain

Leigh Dayton and Stephanie Dalzell | June 20, 2008

COFFEE-SNIFFING rats have confirmed what caffeine addicts suspect - the mere whiff of a good morning brew gets the brain up and going.

Scientists claim the energising aroma kick-starts genes that reverse the effects of sleep-deprivation.

"These results (help) explain why so many people use coffee for staying up all night," claim researchers led by neuroscientist Yoshinori Masuo with Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

More >>