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. Here we show that physiological doses of caffeine in vivo or A(1)R antagonists in vitro induce robust, long-lasting potentiation of synaptic transmission in rat CA2 without effect in other regions of the hippocampus.