Author(s):
Dementia describes a group of clinical symptoms including memory loss and personality changes as the disease affects the processing of information by the brain. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Despite decades of research, there are currently no curative interventions for AD and no preventive strategies. Vitamins are essential nutrients required for normal bodily function, and so accordingly lack of adequate amounts of vitamins (vitamin deficiency) is associated with many health issues. This proposal builds on the statistical analysis of the results of multiple studies combined (a meta-analysis) to investigate the association of AD with vitamins B, D, and E. I found that deficiency of each vitamin may be related to increased risk and/or worsened progression of AD. This correlation relates to these vitamins being directly and indirectly involved in processes that prevent damage and destruction of the brain, an important part in AD initiation and progression.
This research project will determine if the pharmacological supplementation of vitamins B, D, and E will alleviate the severity and halt the progression of AD, which would be a widely beneficial and cost–effective approach in tackling a major health issue.
