NEW YORK: A cohort team of US researchers has completed the first study examining levels of vitamin D in brain tissue, particularly in adults who suffered from varying rates of cognitive decline.
Researchers at Tufts University found that members of this group with higher levels of vitamin D in their brains had better cognitive function. The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association may help researchers learn more about dementia and its causes.
With the ageing of the world's population, it is predicted that the estimated 55 million people who currently live with dementia will increase. Scientists must comprehend the causes of dementia better in order to develop medicines that can either slow or stop the disease.
According to Sarah Booth, director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts, "this research emphasises the importance of studying how food and nutrients create resilience to protect the ageing brain against diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias."
Numerous studies, including several studies of vitamin D, have linked dietary or nutritional factors to cognitive performance or function in older persons, although they are all based on food intakes or blood levels of vitamin D. Lead author Kyla Shea, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, said, "We wanted to know if vitamin D is even present in the brain, and if it is, how those concentrations are associated to cognitive decline."
Researchers examined vitamin D levels in four areas of the brain for the study: two regions were linked to changes linked to Alzheimer's disease, one region was linked to dementia types linked to blood flow, and one region had no known associations with cognitive decline linked to vascular disease or Alzheimer's disease.
They discovered that vitamin D existed in brain tissue and that higher levels of vitamin D in each of the four regions of the brain were associated with improved cognitive function.
The precise way that vitamin D might influence brain function is currently unknown.
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