Caffeine has been linked with reducing memory decline as people age in some studies, but researchers at the University of South Florida say that when given as a supplement it could be used to treat a debilitating cognitive disorder.

They have been testing the compound in animal models because of the chemical’s noted effect on improving memory in older people, but came to find that it may also reverse the formation of proteins thought to be a marker for Alzheimer’s patients.

The mice were given the equivalent of five cups of coffee, and after two months, those who had previously suffered from Alzheimer’s disease were able to do as well as similarly-aged peers on cognition and memory tests, the scientists reported.

A previous study from Portugal found that those who consumed greater amounts of caffeine than their peers were less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s, but researcher Dr Huntington Potter is hopeful that the stimulant could be used as a treatment not just a preventive agent following further clinical trials.