Oral Vitamin B12 Supplementation and Cognitive Performance in Elderly People
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00111267 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: May 19, 2005
Last Update Posted
: June 24, 2005
|
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Cognitive Decline Cognitive Symptoms | Behavioral: vitamin B12 supplementation Behavioral: vitamin B12 + folic acid combined supplementation | Not Applicable |
Mild vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent in old age. Reasons for this high prevalence are not fully understood, but include atrophic gastritis and bacterial overgrowth which affect the absorption (active) of food-bound vitamin B12. In contrast, the ability to absorb crystalline vitamin B12 (e.g. the form found in fortified foods or vitamin pills) remains intact in old age. In both healthy and cognitively impaired elderly people, associations between vitamin B12 status and cognitive performance have been observed, and the follow-up of geriatric patients suggests effects of parenteral treatment in early cognitive impairment.
We investigated whether daily oral supplementation with 1,000 μg vitamin B12 or 1,000 μg vitamin B12 combined with 400 μg folate for 24 weeks improves cognitive performance in people over 70 years with vitamin B12 deficiency.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Enrollment : | 165 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | The Effect of Oral Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Performance in Elderly People: the Brain12 Study |
Study Start Date : | May 2003 |
Study Completion Date : | January 2005 |
- Cognitive performance in the domains of attention, concentration, memory, executive function, speed
- Blood biochemistry including vitamin B12, methylmalonic acid, holotranscobalamin, homocysteine, and red blood cell folate

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 70 Years and older (Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Mild vitamin B12 deficiency:
- Low plasma vitamin B12 concentration (100 < B12 < 300 pmol/L)
- Elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentration (> 0.32 umol/L)
- Creatinine concentration < 120 umol/L
Exclusion Criteria:
- Severe cognitive impairment
- Anemia
- Gastrointestinal surgery or diseases
- Use of vitamin B12 injections or supplements containing > 25 ug vitamin B12 and/or 200 ug folic acid
- < 90% compliance during a 2 week placebo run in period
- No written informed consent
- Participation in other research studies

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00111267
Netherlands | |
Wageningen University | |
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands, 6700 EV |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00111267 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
P03.0277L ZonMW 2100.0067 |
First Posted: | May 19, 2005 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | June 24, 2005 |
Last Verified: | May 2005 |
Keywords provided by Wageningen University:
vitamin B12 cognitive function oral supplementation elderly |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Cognitive Dysfunction Neurobehavioral Manifestations Cognition Disorders Neurocognitive Disorders Mental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Nervous System Diseases Signs and Symptoms Vitamins |
Folic Acid Hydroxocobalamin Vitamin B 12 Vitamin B Complex Micronutrients Growth Substances Physiological Effects of Drugs Hematinics |