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Vitamin D status and measures of cognitive function in healthy older European adults

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages 1172–1178 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Data from human studies that have investigated the association between vitamin D status and cognitive function in elderly adults are conflicting. The objective of this study was to assess vitamin D status (reflected by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) in older European subjects (n=387; aged 55–87 years) and examine its association with measures of cognitive function.

Subjects/Methods:

Serum 25(OH)D was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas measures of cognitive function were assessed using a comprehensive Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB).

Results:

In all, 12, 36 and 64% of subjects had serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30, <50 and <80 nmol/l, respectively, throughout the year. Serum 25(OH)D was significantly and inversely correlated with four assessments within the spatial working memory (SWM) test parameter (SWM between errors (r=−0.166; P=0.003); SWM between errors 8 boxes (r=−0.134; P=0.038); SWM strategy (r=−0.246; P<0.0001); and SWM total errors (r=−0.174; P<0.003)). When subjects were stratified on the basis of tertiles (T) of serum 25(OH)D (<47.6 (T1); 47.6–85.8 (T2); and >85.8 (T3) nmol/l), fewer errors in SWM test scores occurred in subjects in the third T when compared with the first T (P<0.05–0.084). Stratification by sex showed that these differences between tertiles strengthened (P<0.001–0.043) in the females, but the differences were not significant (P>0.6) in males.

Conclusions:

Vitamin D insufficiency, but not deficiency, is widespread in the older population of several European countries. Low vitamin D status was associated with a reduced capacity for SWM, particularly in women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    K M Seamans, T R Hill, L Scully & K D Cashman

  2. Centre de Recherché en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne (CRNH), Unité Maladies Métaboliques et micronutriments, INRA, Centre de Recherche de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, St Genés-Champanelle, France

    N Meunier & C Coudray

  3. Laboratoire de Nutrition Viellissement et Maladies Cardiovasculaires, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Joseph Fourier, Domaine de la Merci, La Tronche, France

    M Andrillo-Sanchez & I Hininger-Favier

  4. National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, Human Nutrition Unit, Rome, Italy

    A Polito & D Ciarapica

  5. Psychology Research Institute, University of Ulster, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK

    E E A Simpson

  6. Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Science, University of Ulster, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK

    B J Stewart-Knox & J M O'Connor

  7. Department of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    K D Cashman

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  1. K M Seamans
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Correspondence to K D Cashman.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Contributors: NM, AP, JMO, CC, MAS, IHF, DC, EEAS and KDC were involved in the conception of work and are grant holders. KMS, TRH, LS, MAS, IHF DC, EEAS, JMO and KDC contributed to the execution of this study. TRH and LS contributed to vitamin analysis. All authors contributed to data analysis and writing of this paper.

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Seamans, K., Hill, T., Scully, L. et al. Vitamin D status and measures of cognitive function in healthy older European adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 1172–1178 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.117

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