Vitamin B 12 and Memory

Posting Date: 04/13/2004

Bunce, Kivipelto, and Wahlin studied 167 healthy older people, averaging nearly 83 years old. First, they checked blood samples for vitamin levels and genotype. Some 82 participants had low B12 (28 with the ?4 allele; 54 without). The researchers then tested episodic memory, varying the test conditions to make them as sensitive as possible to underlying disorder.

Among carriers of the ?4 ApoE allele, people with normal B12 levels recalled a greater number of words. More time to encode (five as opposed to two seconds) also was associated with greater recall. More than doubling encoding time strengthened memory more for the ?4-low vitamin group than it did for other participants.

A significant difference showed up in the experiment?s most demanding condition, when participants had just two seconds to encode words. In that situation, the high-risk genotype plus low B12 levels was significantly associated with poorer memory.

The findings endorse a complex model of vulnerability in which genetic and non-genetic factors interact. According to the authors, ??4 ApoE carriers may derive relatively greater cognitive benefits from B12 and folate supplements. Supplement treatment is relatively inexpensive and may be required as part of preventive health regimes for older persons.?

Article: ?Utilization of cognitive support in episodic free recall as a function of apolipoprotein E and vitamin B12 or folate among adults aged 75 years and older,? David Bunce, PhD, Goldsmiths College, University of London; Miia Kivipelto, PhD, MD, Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and Stockholm Gerontology Research Center; ke Wahlin, PhD, University of Stockholm, Neuropsychology, Vol. 18, No. 2.

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