Vitamin D and cognitive function in older adults
Are we concerned about vitamin D-mentia?
Citation Manager Formats
Make Comment
See Comments

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
In 1983, Goodwin et al.1 published a seminal article in which they evaluated cross-sectional associations between cognitive function test scores and blood levels of micronutrients in noninstitutionalized, healthy older adults (age >60 y). They found that low blood concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and folate were associated with poor performance on tests of nonverbal abstract thinking or short-term memory. This was the first epidemiologic evaluation of subclinical micronutrient deficiency and its potential to influence cognitive function in otherwise healthy older adults. In the ensuing 25+ years, hundreds of reports have linked micronutrients to both global and domain-specific cognitive functions, as well as risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease.
The current “hot” vitamin receiving attention is vitamin D, and not simply because it is made in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. Well-recognized for its role in preventing rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, there is increasing evidence that vitamin D influences a variety of pathophysiologic conditions, including age-related cognitive dysfunction and dementia.2–4 The vitamin D receptor and the vitamin D activating enzyme, 1,α-hydroxylase, are expressed throughout the brain,2–4 and vitamin D is known to affect the expression of various neurotrophins and calcium binding proteins that are essential for normal brain function.2–4 Vitamin D also stimulates neurite outgrowth in human neuroblastoma cells and in rodent embryonic hippocampal explants and progenitor cell lines, and increases hippocampal density in rats.2 Deficiency of vitamin D in rodents increases ventricle size and alters learning and other behavioral parameters.2 There is also evidence …
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)
Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here
Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page. Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00. Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means. The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use. Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within the last 8 weeks.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.