A review on the relations between the vitamin status and cognitive performances

Summary well known that deficiency of some vitamins may cause cognitive disorders. Recent studies have found that vitamin supplements, especially those of B complex and vitamin A, may improve some cognitive performances also in those people who have not suffer from significant cognitive disorders and are fairly nourished. The results regarding the influence of the vitamins E and C in the cognitive performance are more contrasting. The undernourished subjects are not always suffering from serious cognitive impairment or dementia. The adminstration of vitamin E supplements in patients with Alzheimerʹs disease (AD) has slowed down the progression of the disease without any improvement in cognitive test scores. On the other hand, it seems to be interesting the use of vitamin B1 supplements in patients with AD. Further double-blind, placebo-controlled trials might confirm that the intake of vitamin supplements improves cognitive performances in healthy subjects and demonstrate the usefulness of vitamin supplements in old people with serious cognitive impairment, even if it is not directty linked to a vitamin deficiency.