BACKGROUND: An elevated blood concentration of homocysteine is an established risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia, but associations between cognition and methylmalonic acid (MMA), a related metabolic marker of vitamin B-12 deficiency, are less clear. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the utility of serum MMA and holotranscobalamin as markers of vitamin B-12 status in relation to cognitive function and to investigate their association with discrete cognitive domains. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey of 84 nondemented elderly participants (aged >69 y) from the Welsh cohort of the Medical Research Council's Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Cognitive status was determined by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Cognitive Section of the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMCOG). RESULTS: Nearly one-half (43%) of the persons selected had likely metabolically significant vitamin B-12 deficiency. Higher MMA concentrations were associated with lower MMSE scores independent of age and education (P = 0.007). MMA concentration correlated inversely with CAMCOG scores of ideational praxis (P < 0.05) and language comprehension (P < 0.05) and expression (P < 0.01). Serum folate correlated weakly but significantly with language (P < 0.05), remote memory (P < 0.05), and constructional and ideational praxis scores (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of likely metabolically significant vitamin B-12 deficiency in the elderly is associated with lower cognitive function scores and particularly with lower scores of language comprehension and expression.
BACKGROUND: An elevated blood concentration of homocysteine is an established risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia, but associations between cognition and methylmalonic acid (MMA), a related metabolic marker of vitamin B-12 deficiency, are less clear. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the utility of serum MMA and holotranscobalamin as markers of vitamin B-12 status in relation to cognitive function and to investigate their association with discrete cognitive domains. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey of 84 nondemented elderly participants (aged >69 y) from the Welsh cohort of the Medical Research Council's Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Cognitive status was determined by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Cognitive Section of the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMCOG). RESULTS: Nearly one-half (43%) of the persons selected had likely metabolically significant vitamin B-12 deficiency. Higher MMA concentrations were associated with lower MMSE scores independent of age and education (P = 0.007). MMA concentration correlated inversely with CAMCOG scores of ideational praxis (P < 0.05) and language comprehension (P < 0.05) and expression (P < 0.01). Serum folate correlated weakly but significantly with language (P < 0.05), remote memory (P < 0.05), and constructional and ideational praxis scores (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of likely metabolically significant vitamin B-12 deficiency in the elderly is associated with lower cognitive function scores and particularly with lower scores of language comprehension and expression.
Authors: A M Matteini; J D Walston; M D Fallin; K Bandeen-Roche; W H L Kao; R D Semba; R H Allen; J Guralnik; L P Fried; S P Stabler Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2008-05 Impact factor: 4.075
Authors: Ben Carter; Zohra Zenasni; Stuart J Moat; Peter R Hudson; Ian T Russell; Andrew McCaddon Journal: J Nutr Date: 2021-12-03 Impact factor: 4.798