“Marginal vitamin B12 status in older age is frequently missed by measurement of serum vitamin B12 levels alone,” the researchers concluded. “Our findings suggest that methylmalonic acid, the specific marker of B12 deficiency, may affect cognition by reducing total brain volume whereas the effect of homocysteine on cognition may be mediated through increased white matter hyperintensity volume and cerebral infarcts.”
Tangney CC, Aggarwal NT, Li H, et al. Vitamin B12, cognition, and brain MRI measures. Neurology. 2011;77(13):1276-1282.
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