This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sommer, B. R. Articles by Costa, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sommer, B. R. Articles by Costa, M. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Alzheimer's Disease Hazardous Substances DB FOLIC ACID Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Folic Acid Supplementation in Dementia: A Preliminary Report

Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, brsommer{at}leland.stanford.edu.

Anne L. Hoff, PhD

UC Davis Napa Research Center

Martin Costa, PhD

University of California at San Francisco

Recent work on high plasma homocysteine levels in patients at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease has led to the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation might reduce risk in such patients. The authors report on the effects of folic acid 10 mg/day versus placebo on 11 patients (only 7 completers) with dementia and low-normal folic acid levels. This is the first study evaluating folic acid or placebo in patients with dementia. Subjects had low-normal baseline folic acid levels. The magnitude of change between baseline and second testing was not statistically significant between the 2 groups. However, there was a trend for the folate group to perform worse on two specific cognitive measures, suggesting a possible trend toward worsening of some cognitive abilities after the folic acid. The folic acid in very high doses was well tolerated. Larger studies are necessary before empirically administering folic acid to patients already suffering from dementia. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2003; 16:156-159).

Key Words: folic acid • cognition • psychological testing

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, Vol. 16, No. 3, 156-159 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0891988703256052


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Ashokkumar, S. M. Nabokina, T. Y. Ma, and H. M. Said Identification of dynein light chain road block-1 as a novel interaction partner with the human reduced folate carrier Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, September 1, 2009; 297(3): G480 - G487. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Kang, N. Cook, J. Manson, J. E Buring, C. M Albert, and F. Grodstein A trial of B vitamins and cognitive function among women at high risk of cardiovascular disease Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2008; 88(6): 1602 - 1610. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. S. Subramanian, J. C. Reidling, and H. M. Said Differentiation-dependent regulation of the intestinal folate uptake process: studies with Caco-2 cells and native mouse intestine Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, September 1, 2008; 295(3): C828 - C835. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. S. Subramanian, J. S. Marchant, and H. M. Said Apical membrane targeting and trafficking of the human proton-coupled transporter in polarized epithelia Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, January 1, 2008; 294(1): C233 - C240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Ashokkumar, Z. M Mohammed, N. D Vaziri, and H. M Said Effect of folate oversupplementation on folate uptake by human intestinal and renal epithelial cells Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2007; 86(1): 159 - 166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Balk, G. Raman, A. Tatsioni, M. Chung, J. Lau, and I. H. Rosenberg Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid Supplementation and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials Arch Intern Med, January 8, 2007; 167(1): 21 - 30. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J Stott, G. MacIntosh, G. D. Lowe, A. Rumley, A. D McMahon, P. Langhorne, R C. Tait, D. S. J O'Reilly, E. G Spilg, J. B MacDonald, et al. Randomized controlled trial of homocysteine-lowering vitamin treatment in elderly patients with vascular disease Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2005; 82(6): 1320 - 1326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. P Mooijaart, J. Gussekloo, M. Frolich, J. Jolles, D. J Stott, R. G. Westendorp, and A. J. de Craen Homocysteine, vitamin B-12, and folic acid and the risk of cognitive decline in old age: the Leiden 85-Plus Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2005; 82(4): 866 - 871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-K. Kuo, F. A. Sorond, J.-H. Chen, A. Hashmi, W. P. Milberg, and L. A. Lipsitz The Role of Homocysteine in Multisystem Age-Related Problems: A Systematic Review J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., September 1, 2005; 60(9): 1190 - 1201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]