Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact

Cognitive impairment, a prevalent issue in aging populations, significantly affects quality of life and public health systems. Among various contributing factors, Vitamin B12 deficiency emerges as a critical yet modifiable risk factor, impacting neurological and cognitive health. Vitamin B12, an ess...

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Main Authors: Milind Umekar, Tanvi Premchandani, Amol Tatode, Mohammad Qutub, Neha Raut, Jayshree Taksande, Ujban Md. Hussain
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Brain Disorders
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266645932500040X
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author Milind Umekar
Tanvi Premchandani
Amol Tatode
Mohammad Qutub
Neha Raut
Jayshree Taksande
Ujban Md. Hussain
author_facet Milind Umekar
Tanvi Premchandani
Amol Tatode
Mohammad Qutub
Neha Raut
Jayshree Taksande
Ujban Md. Hussain
author_sort Milind Umekar
collection DOAJ
description Cognitive impairment, a prevalent issue in aging populations, significantly affects quality of life and public health systems. Among various contributing factors, Vitamin B12 deficiency emerges as a critical yet modifiable risk factor, impacting neurological and cognitive health. Vitamin B12, an essential micronutrient derived from animal-based foods, is vital for myelin integrity, neurotransmitter synthesis, and homocysteine metabolism. Its deficiency disrupts these processes, leading to neurotoxic effects such as oxidative stress, vascular damage, and neurodegeneration, which exacerbate cognitive decline. This review combines evidence from human and animal studies on the neurocognitive impacts of Vitamin B12 deficiency and evaluates supplementation strategies. It underscores the multifactorial nature of B12 deficiency, driven by dietary inadequacies, physiological changes, and environmental factors, especially in high-risk groups such as the elderly and vegetarians. Proactive measures, including routine screening, dietary adjustments, and early supplementation, are essential to prevent deficiency-related cognitive impairments. Advancements in biomarkers and neuroimaging also promise improved diagnosis and intervention strategies, highlighting an interdisciplinary approach to optimizing cognitive health outcomes.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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series Brain Disorders
spelling doaj-art-2787f94fe7b14efb9bb37bb3f4e8e31a2025-08-20T03:26:20ZengElsevierBrain Disorders2666-45932025-06-011810022010.1016/j.dscb.2025.100220Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impactMilind Umekar0Tanvi Premchandani1Amol Tatode2Mohammad Qutub3Neha Raut4Jayshree Taksande5Ujban Md. Hussain6Department of Pharmaceutics, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, IndiaDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, India; Corresponding author.Department of Pharmaceutics, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, IndiaDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, IndiaDepartment of Quality Assurance, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, IndiaDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441002, IndiaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University Nagpur, Maharashtra 440033, IndiaCognitive impairment, a prevalent issue in aging populations, significantly affects quality of life and public health systems. Among various contributing factors, Vitamin B12 deficiency emerges as a critical yet modifiable risk factor, impacting neurological and cognitive health. Vitamin B12, an essential micronutrient derived from animal-based foods, is vital for myelin integrity, neurotransmitter synthesis, and homocysteine metabolism. Its deficiency disrupts these processes, leading to neurotoxic effects such as oxidative stress, vascular damage, and neurodegeneration, which exacerbate cognitive decline. This review combines evidence from human and animal studies on the neurocognitive impacts of Vitamin B12 deficiency and evaluates supplementation strategies. It underscores the multifactorial nature of B12 deficiency, driven by dietary inadequacies, physiological changes, and environmental factors, especially in high-risk groups such as the elderly and vegetarians. Proactive measures, including routine screening, dietary adjustments, and early supplementation, are essential to prevent deficiency-related cognitive impairments. Advancements in biomarkers and neuroimaging also promise improved diagnosis and intervention strategies, highlighting an interdisciplinary approach to optimizing cognitive health outcomes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266645932500040XNeuroprotectionMethylcobalaminMyelin degenerationHomocysteineNeurodegenerationEnvironmental stressors
spellingShingle Milind Umekar
Tanvi Premchandani
Amol Tatode
Mohammad Qutub
Neha Raut
Jayshree Taksande
Ujban Md. Hussain
Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
Brain Disorders
Neuroprotection
Methylcobalamin
Myelin degeneration
Homocysteine
Neurodegeneration
Environmental stressors
title Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
title_full Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
title_fullStr Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
title_full_unstemmed Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
title_short Vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment: A comprehensive review of neurological impact
title_sort vitamin b12 deficiency and cognitive impairment a comprehensive review of neurological impact
topic Neuroprotection
Methylcobalamin
Myelin degeneration
Homocysteine
Neurodegeneration
Environmental stressors
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266645932500040X
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