Impact of nutrition on cognition and affectivity in the elderly: A review

Summary tive nutritional health care of old people is a pressing topic for physicians. In fact, malnutrition is related to impaired cognitive and affective performance in the elderly. Depression and dementia may sometimes initiate with weight loss, and selective and subclinical malnutrition (folic acid, vitamin B12) can impair cognition and affectivity. The methods for revealing cobalamin and folic acid deficiencies need to be revised, since recommended dietary allowances and serum levels of these nutrients have not yet been established for the elderly. Homocysteine plasma concentration seems to be an appropriate and cost-effective marker of inadequate intake or bioavailability of these two vitamins, which are related to cognitive and affective performances in the elderly. In clinical practice, it is important to dispose of an instrument for adequately detecting malnutrition. One must also keep in mind that vitamin supplements may be useful in a large number of elders with psychogeriatric symptoms.