Serum cobalamin levels in dementias.
The present study attempts to find a correlation between low serum B-12 levels and dementias. A total of 178 patients of dementia were seen at the cognitive disorder clinic from 1996 to 1998. Serum B-12 levels were studied in 100 patients. 15 patients (39.5%) of Alzheimer's dementia had reduced B-12 levels, while only 5 patients (13.9%) with vascular dementias and 3 patients (11.5%) with other types of dementias had reduced levels. The incidence of low serum B-12 was statistically significant in the Alzheimer's group when compared with the other groups, individually as well as combined together (p<0.05). The aetiopathogenesis and significance of these findings is discussed and the literature is reviewed.
Tripathi
M
M
Department of Neurology, C.N. Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110 029, India. manjari@medinst.ernet.in
Sheshadri
S
S
Padma
M V
MV
Jain
S
S
Meheshwari
M C
MC
Behari
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood; D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
D014805:Vitamin B 12