Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have found that caffeine improves responsiveness, alertness, and accuracy in detecting moving targets. This is reported in an article published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
During the new scientific work, experts examined how caffeine improves the processing of visual information. The study involved 21 volunteers. They took a caffeine capsule (at a dose of 4 milligrams per kilogram) one day and a placebo capsule the next day. A computer test developed and validated at the University of Waterloo helped measure each participant's dynamic visual acuity skills one hour and one hour after taking caffeine.
Participants who took caffeine capsules showed much greater accuracy and higher speed in detecting small moving targets. Eye speed and contrast sensitivity, which influence dynamic visual acuity, were also found to be sensitive to caffeine intake.
Scientists noted that consumption of caffeine can improve a person's visual function by increasing alertness. This is important when driving a car, cycling, or playing sports.