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Review
. 2012 Sep 25;79(13):1397-405.
doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31826c197f.

Vitamin D, cognition, and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cynthia Balion  1 , Lauren E Griffith, Lisa Strifler, Matthew Henderson, Christopher Patterson, George Heckman, David J Llewellyn, Parminder Raina
Affiliations
Review

Vitamin D, cognition, and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cynthia Balion et al. Neurology. .

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between cognitive function and dementia with vitamin D concentration in adults.

Methods: Five databases were searched for English-language studies up to August 2010, and included all study designs with a comparative group. Cognitive function or impairment was defined by tests of global or domain-specific cognitive performance and dementia was diagnosed according to recognized criteria. A vitamin D measurement was required. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed study quality using predefined criteria. The Q statistic and I² methods were used to test for heterogeneity. We conducted meta-analyses using random effects models for the weighted mean difference (WMD) and Hedge's g.

Results: Thirty-seven studies were included; 8 contained data allowing mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores to be compared between participants with vitamin D <50 nmol/L to those with values ≥50 nmol/L. There was significant heterogeneity among the studies that compared the WMD for MMSE but an overall positive effect for the higher vitamin D group (1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5 to 1.9; I² = 0.65; p = 0.002). The small positive effect persisted despite several sensitivity analyses. Six studies presented data comparing Alzheimer disease (AD) to controls but 2 utilized a method withdrawn from commercial use. For the remaining 4 studies the AD group had a lower vitamin D concentration compared to the control group (WMD = -6.2 nmol/L, 95% CI -10.6 to -1.8) with no heterogeneity (I² < 0.01; p = 0.53).

Conclusion: These results suggest that lower vitamin D concentrations are associated with poorer cognitive function and a higher risk of AD. Further studies are required to determine the significance and potential public health benefit of this association.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow diagram showing the study selection process for this systematic review
Figure 2
Figure 2. Vitamin D concentration in Alzheimer disease and control groups
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mini-Mental State Examination and vitamin D group (<50 nmol/L and ≥50 nmol/L)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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