HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (Publish Ahead of Print[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: 89/2/707S    most recent ajcn.2008.26947Dv1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Smith, A D. Articles by Refsum, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Smith, A D. Articles by Refsum, H. Agricola Articles by Smith, A D. Articles by Refsum, H.

Vitamin B-12 and cognition in the elderly^1,2,3,4

¹ From the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing, the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (ADS and HR), and the Institute of Basic Medical Science, Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (HR).

² Presented at the symposium "Is It Time for Mandatory Vitamin B-12 Fortification in Flour?" held at Experimental Biology 2008, San Diego, CA, 8 April 2008.

³ Supported by the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust (ADS); the Norman Collisson Foundation (ADS); the Alzheimer's Research Trust (ADS and HR); and the Johan Throne Holst Foundation for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo (HR).

⁴ Reprints not available. Address correspondence to AD Smith, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom. E-mail: david.smith{at}pharm.ox.ac.uk.

ABSTRACT

Vitamin B-12 deficiency is often associated with cognitive deficits. Here we review evidence that cognition in the elderly may also be adversely affected at concentrations of vitamin B-12 above the traditional cutoffs for deficiency. By using markers such as holotranscobalamin and methylmalonic acid, it has been found that cognition is associated with vitamin B-12 status across the normal range. Possible mediators of this relation include brain atrophy and white matter damage, both of which are associated with low vitamin B-12 status. Intervention trials have not been adequately designed to test whether these associations are causal. Pending the outcome of better trials, it is suggested that the elderly in particular should be encouraged to maintain a good, rather than just an adequate, vitamin B-12 status by dietary means.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. H Allen How common is vitamin B-12 deficiency? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 693S - 696S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. D Thompson, D. E. Cole, and J. G Ray Vitamin B-12 and neural tube defects: the Canadian experience Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 697S - 701S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Selhub, M. S. Morris, P. F Jacques, and I. H Rosenberg Folate-vitamin B-12 interaction in relation to cognitive impairment, anemia, and biochemical indicators of vitamin B-12 deficiency Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 702S - 706S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Green Is it time for vitamin B-12 fortification? What are the questions? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 712S - 716S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]