Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in an urban, community dwelling, elderly population and its association with Serum Vitamin B12 levels in South India.

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPrevalence of cognitive disorders is becoming higher in low and middle income societies with increasing lifespan1. Multiple factors contribute to emergence of cognitive disorders including genes, lifestyle, diet and nutrition, co‐morbid metabolic and vascular risk factors 2. There has been only a few studies from India, looking at the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the community. Ageing and dietary preferences pose a higher risk for B12 and Folic acid deficiencies, contributing to cognitive difficulties3. Our study aims to look at the prevalence of cognitive impairment in a community dwelling elderly population and the association of mild cognitive Impairment (MCI) with serum B12 levels.MethodA total of 308 individuals above the age of 60 were screened for medical issues and psychiatric illnesses. Those who fulfilled the intake criteria were evaluated using Subjective Memory Complaint Questionnaire (SMCQ), MOCA, ACE‐R or RUDAS and FAB. Serum B12 levels were evaluated for all the individuals.Result51.8 percent of individuals had normal cognitive function. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 48.8%. Among these 42.3% of individuals had mild cognitive impairment. There was no significant correlation between MCI and Serum B12 levels in the screened population.ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of cognitive difficulties in the studied population.Dietary deficiency of Vitamin B12 does not appear to be a major factor contributing to the MCI. Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment and lifestyle and metabolic risk factors may need to be considered as contributory factors