The word "senile" originates from Latin and translates roughly as "old age." Senile, senility and senile dementia are outmoded terms for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia that affect elderly as well as middle-aged adults, according to the Stanford School of Medicine. Research suggests that vitamin B-12 deficiency and dementia may be closely linked, and in some cases vitamin B-12 supplementation improves symptoms. Speak to your health care provider about vitamin B-12 supplementation for dementia.
Misinterpretation
The terms "senile" and "senile dementia" highlight the important misinterpretation that aging causes dementia. While this belief persisted for decades, according to the Stanford School of Medicine, normal aging does not mean you are destined for dementia. Numerous elderly persons live into their 90s with no symptoms of dementia whatsoever. As a result of this understanding, science has left the terms "senile" and "senile dementia" behind.
Symptoms
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can present with psychiatric symptoms that resemble Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. These include depression, loss of memory, confusion, dementia, mood changes, loss of facility with language, impaired movement, balance problems and inappropriate social behaviors.
Research
Research indicates that dementia that stems from vitamin B-12 deficiency can be treated. A 2000 report written by doctors from the University of Munich in Germany presented two cases of dementia. The first involved a 64-year-old male who developed confusion and speech problems; the second studied a 77-year-old male who showed depression and disorientation. In both cases, vitamin B-12 levels were low and both patients saw improved cognitive performance with vitamin B-12 supplementation. This article appeared in the August 2000 issue of "The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences."
Sources
Vitamin B-12 occurs mainly in animal products such as liver, clams, trout, salmon, haddock, tuna, eggs, chicken, yogurt, milk and pork. Vitamin B-12 is not usually present in plants. Vegetarians can derive vitamin B-12 from fortified breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast. If you develop symptoms of dementia and your doctor suspects a vitamin B-12 deficiency, the treatment typically involves a vitamin B-12 injection into a muscle. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin B-12 shots remain the most effective means to treat a deficiency.
References
- Stanford School of Medicine: Stanford Center for Memory Disorders: A Brief History of Dementia
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B-12
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Dementia
- "The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences"; Dementia Associated With Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Presentation of Two Cases and Review of the Literature; Norbert Goebels, M.D., et al.; August 2000
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