Vitamin B12 deficiency and dementia.
We set out to investigate the possible beneficial effects on cognitive function of demented patients with cobalamin deficiency after cobalamin replacement. A total of 181 consecutive, demented (DSM-III or DSM-III-R criteria and score below 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) outpatients (mean age 77.5 years) were prospectively evaluated and had their vitamin B12 level measured by radioimmunoassay. The frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency (less than 200 pg/mliter) was 25% (46 patients). Treatment outcome was obtained in 19 patients (19 of 46). Despite cobalamin replacement, 16 of 19 patients persisted in showing progressive decline during follow-up visits (3 to 24 months). The nonresponse to vitamin B12 replacement in most cases seems to reflect the presence of associated irreversible dementia or a follow-up of shorter duration in a few patients. All of the patients who showed some improvement (MMSE returned to normal values) had mild dementia with a history of less than 2 years. Thus, screening for B12 deficiency should be considered in patients with recent onset of mild mental status changes.
Cunha
U G
UG
Geriatric Unit, Hospital dos Servidores do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Rocha
F L
FL
Peixoto
J M
JM
Motta
M F
MF
Barbosa
M T
MT
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology
D014805:Vitamin B 12