Abstract
A study of the effects of ascorbic acid deprivation on behavior was undertaken on 5 healthy males between the ages of 26 and 52 years. During deprivation changes were found to occur in areas of personality and psychomotor performance and in certain physical fitness tasks. The most dramatic behavioral changes related to ascorbic acid levels were observed for the personality measures. Elevations in scores occurred in the Hypochondriasis Depression and Hysteria Scales of the neurotic triad of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory as ascorbic acid deficiency progressed. For both measures (high and low levels) of ascorbic acid the separation between the 2 groups was highly significant (p less than .01). Reduced arousal or motivational levels present during scurvy were associated with decrements in psychomotor performance preceeded by personality changes. Psychomotor performance was found to be sensitive to nutritional and environmental conditions such as acute and semistarvation B-complex vitamin deficiencies and the effect of hypoxia resulting from exposure to high terrestrial altitudes. Scorbutic arthropathy and/or neuropathy were responsible for impaired performances in physical fitness in those leg-oriented tasks. Behavioral changes in this study depended upon changes in vitamin C levels.
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