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Homocysteine in relation to cognitive performance in pathological and non-pathological conditions

  • Charlotte E. Teunissen , Martin P. J. van Boxtel , Jellemer Jolles , Jan de Vente , Fred Vreeling , Frans Verhey , Chris H. Polman , Christine D. Dijkstra and Henk J. Blom
Published/Copyright: September 21, 2011

Abstract

Elevated serum homocysteine has been associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, elevated homocysteine levels are related to cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to explore the disease specificity of the relation between serum total homocysteine levels and cognitive function. For this, we summarize data from several studies on homocysteine levels in both normal and pathological conditions performed in our laboratories and evaluate possible mechanisms of effects of elevated homocysteine levels in the central nervous system. Total homocysteine levels were measured in serum of: 1) healthy aging individuals; 2) patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and patients with other cognitive disorders; and 3) patients with multiple sclerosis. Increased serum homocysteine concentration was related to worse cognitive performance over a 6-year period in the normal aging population (r=−0.36 to −0.14, p<0.01 for the Word learning tests; r=0.76, p<0.05 for the Stroop Colored Word test). Homocysteine was only increased in patients with Parkinson's disease on L-Dopa therapy (18.9 vs. 16.5μmol/L in healthy controls), and not in dementia patients. Homocysteine was elevated in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (15.0μmol/L, n=39, compared to 12.0 μmol/L in 45 controls) and correlated to both cognitive and motor function (r=−0.33 and −0.33, p<0.05, respectively). The relationship between homocysteine and cognitive function in non-pathological and pathological situations indicates that changes in its levels may play a role in cognitive functioning in a broad spectrum of conditions.


Corresponding author: Dr. Charlotte E. Teunissen, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, FdG, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands Phone: +31-20-4448076, Fax: +31-20-4448081,

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Published Online: 2011-9-21
Published in Print: 2005-10-1

©2005 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Homocysteine research – where do we stand and where are we going?
  2. Hyperhomocysteinemia and arteriosclerosis: historical perspectives
  3. Homocysteine and heart failure: a review of investigations from the Framingham Heart Study
  4. Homocysteine and vascular disease in diabetes: a double hit?
  5. Reduced adenosine receptor stimulation as a pathogenic factor in hyperhomocysteinemia
  6. Effects of homocysteine on vascular and tissue adenosine: a stake in homocysteine pathogenicity?
  7. Anti-N-homocysteinylated protein autoantibodies and cardiovascular disease
  8. Carotid narrowing degree and plasma thiol levels in carotid endarterectomy patients
  9. Impairment of homocysteine metabolism in patients with retinal vascular occlusion and non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy
  10. Hyperhomocysteinaemia in chronic kidney disease: focus on transmethylation
  11. Hyperhomocysteinemia and macromolecule modifications in uremic patients
  12. Hyperhomocysteinemia and response of methionine cycle intermediates to vitamin treatment in renal patients
  13. Vitamin B12 deficiency is the dominant nutritional cause of hyperhomocysteinemia in a folic acid-fortified population
  14. Homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 in relation to pre- and postnatal health aspects
  15. Evaluation of the technical performance of novel holotranscobalamin (holoTC) assays in a multicenter European demonstration project
  16. A laboratory algorithm with homocysteine as the primary parameter reduces the cost of investigation of folate and cobalamin deficiency
  17. Betaine: a key modulator of one-carbon metabolism and homocysteine status
  18. Molecular targeting by homocysteine: a mechanism for vascular pathogenesis
  19. Anti-inflammatory compound resveratrol suppresses homocysteine formation in stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro
  20. Homocysteine in relation to cognitive performance in pathological and non-pathological conditions
  21. Homocysteine and B vitamins in mild cognitive impairment and dementia
  22. Homocysteine, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cognitive performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study
  23. Plasma homocysteine levels in L-dopa-treated Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive dysfunctions
  24. Homocysteine – a newly recognised risk factor for osteoporosis
  25. Relation between homocysteine and biochemical bone turnover markers and bone mineral density in peri- and post-menopausal women
  26. Elevated levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) as a marker of cardiovascular disease and mortality
  27. Measurement of asymmetric dimethylarginine in plasma: methodological considerations and clinical relevance
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  29. Asymmetric dimethylarginine, homocysteine and renal function – is there a relation?
  30. Interactions between folate and aging for carcinogenesis
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  32. The vegetarian lifestyle and DNA methylation
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