Vitamin B12, folic acid, and the nervous system.

Abstract

There are many reasons for reviewing the neurology of vitamin-B12 and folic-acid deficiencies together, including the intimate relation between the metabolism of the two vitamins, their morphologically indistinguishable megaloblastic anaemias, and their overlapping neuropsychiatric syndromes and neuropathology, including their related inborn errors of metabolism. Folates and vitamin B12 have fundamental roles in CNS function at all ages, especially the methionine-synthase mediated conversion of homocysteine to methionine, which is essential for nucleotide synthesis and genomic and non-genomic methylation. Folic acid and vitamin B12 may have roles in the prevention of disorders of CNS development, mood disorders, and dementias, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in elderly people.

• Authors: Edward Reynolds
• Journal: The Lancet. Neurology (Lancet Neurol) Vol. 5 Issue 11 Pg. 949-60 (Nov 2006) ISSN: 1474-4422 [Print] England
• PMID: 17052662 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B 12

Topics

• Animals
• Folic Acid (metabolism, physiology)
• Humans
• Metabolic Diseases (etiology, metabolism, therapy)
• Models, Biological
• Multiple Sclerosis (complications, metabolism)
• Nervous System (metabolism)
• Vitamin B 12 (metabolism, physiology)
• Vitamin B 12 Deficiency (complications, metabolism, therapy)