Vitamin B12 deficiency history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
History and Symptoms
Early and even fairly pronounced deficiency does not always cause distinct or specific symptoms. Common early symptoms are tiredness or a decreased mental work capacity, decreased concentration and decreased memory, irritability and depression.
Sleep disturbances may occur, because B12 may be involved in the regulation of the sleep wake cycle by the pineal gland (through melatonin).[1]
Neurological signs of B12 deficiency, which can occur without anemia, include sensory disturbances due to damage to peripheral nerves caused by demyelination and irreversible nerve cell death. Symptoms include numbness, tingling of the extremities, disturbed coordination and, if not treated in time, an ataxic gait, a syndrome known as subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord.
B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.[2][3]
Recent studies have devalued a possible connection between B12 deficiency and Alzheimer's dementia, and such a correlation is unlikely as of June 2007.[4]
Studies showing a relationship between clinical depression levels and deficient B12 blood levels in elderly people are documented in the clinical literature.[5][6]
Bipolar disorder appears to genetically co-segregate with the hereditary B12-deficiency disorder pernicious anemia.[7][8]
References
- ↑ Hashimoto S, Kohsaka M, Morita N, Fukuda N, Honma S, Honma K (1996). "Vitamin B12 enhances the phase-response of circadian melatonin rhythm to a single bright light exposure in humans". Neurosci. Lett. 220 (2): 129–32. PMID 8981490.
- ↑ Sethi NK, Robilotti E, Sadan Y (2005). "Neurological Manifestations Of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency". The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness. 2 (1).
- ↑ Masalha R, Chudakov B, Muhamad M, Rudoy I, Volkov I, Wirguin I (2001). "Cobalamin-responsive psychosis as the sole manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency". Israeli Medical Association Journal. 3: 701–703.
- ↑ Morris MC, Evans DA, Schneider JA, Tangney CC, Bienias JL, Aggarwal NT (2006). "Dietary folate and vitamins B-12 and B-6 not associated with incident Alzheimer's disease". J. Alzheimers Dis. 9 (4): 435–43. PMID 16917153.
- ↑ Brenda W. J. H. Penninx; et al. (2000). "Vitamin BTemplate:Ssub Deficiency and Depression in Physically Disabled Older Women: Epidemiologic Evidence From the Women’s Health and Aging Study". Am. J. Psychiatry. 157: 715–721. PMID 10784463.
- ↑ Henning Tiemeier; et al. (2002). "Vitamin B12, Folate, and Homocysteine in Depression: The Rotterdam Study". Am. J. Psychiatry. 159: 2099–2101. PMID 12450964.
- ↑ Reading CM. (1979). "X-linked dominant manic-depressive illness: Linkage with Xg blood-group, red-green color-blindness and vitamin-B12 deficiency". Orthomolecular Psychiatry. 8: 68–77.
- ↑ Reading CM. (1975). "Latent pernicious anemia: A preliminary report". Medical Journal of Australia. 40: 91–4.