title: Serum cobalamin levels in dementias.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, C.N. Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110 029, India. manjari@medinst.ernet.in
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheshadri
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Padma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meheshwari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behari
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12