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The British Journal of Psychiatry (1967) 113: 252-256. doi: 10.1192/bjp.113.496.252
© 1967 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Psychiatric Illness

R. SHULMAN M.B., Ch.B., M.R.C.P.(E.), M.R.C.P.(G.), D.P.M.1

1 Lecturer, University Department of Psychological Medicine, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow

The outcome of treatment in ten psychiatric patients with low serum vitamin B12 levels has been described. Four patients with affective illness recovered or improved considerably without vitamin B12 therapy. One patient with an acute confusional state died, and five patients who had advanced senile dementia showed no response to vitamin B12 injections.

The implications of these findings have been discussed, and it has been suggested that vitamin B12 deficiency does not have the same causal relationship to all psychiatric syndromes. On the available evidence from the literature, routine serum vitamin B12 estimations in all psychiatric patients cannot be justified. However, careful haematological screening is recommended, particularly for patients with organic confusional states and senile and pre-senile dementia of unknown origin.

Submitted on January 25, 1966




This article has been cited by other articles:


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 PsychosomaticsHome page
K. D. Herr, E. R. Norris, and B. L. Frankel
Acute Psychosis in a Patient With Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Coincident Cervical Stenosis
Psychosomatics, June 1, 2002; 43(3): 234 - 236.
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Psychiatric Bulletin Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals
Copyright © 1967 The Royal College of Psychiatrists.