Hulpgids

Vitamin B and cognition

Two-year folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation did not beneficially affect performance on 4 cognitive domains in elderly people with elevated Hcy levels. It may slightly slow the rate of decline of global cognition, but the reported small difference may be attributable to chance.

But upon reviewing the study for Medscape Medical News, Professor David Smith, FMedSci, founding director of the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing, United Kingdom, who is also researching the role of B vitamins in cognition, said, "As there was no cognitive decline in the placebo group, what were they expecting to show?

"It has never been suggested that vitamin B would improve cognition in people with normal brain function," he said. "We are trying to establish whether it could delay decline. As there was no decline in the placebo group then it is impossible to show this."

Bron

• Results of 2-year vitamin B treatment on cognitive performance (Neurology, 2014)

• Vitamin B and Cognition (Medscape Medical News)