Caffeine-induced synaptic potentiation in hippocampal CA2 neurons.

Caffeine enhances cognition, but even high non-physiological doses have modest effects on synapses. A(1) adenosine receptors (A(1)Rs) are antagonized by caffeine and are most highly enriched in hippocampal CA2, which has not been studied in this context. We found that physiological doses of caffeine in vivo or A(1)R antagonists in vitro induced robust, long-lasting potentiation of synaptic transmission in rat CA2 without affecting other regions of the hippocampus.