Section - Quick Takes

04. Depression, B Vitamins, and Cognition: Is There a Connection?

Published on February 1, 2025 Certification expiration date: February 1, 2028

Derick E. Vergne, M.D.

Assistant Professor - Tufts University School of Medicine

Key Points

Low vitamin B6, B9 (folate), and B12 levels may be associated with cognitive dysfunction in patients with depression.
Higher HAM-D scores, lower BDNF levels, and lower B-complex levels could be risk factors for cognitive impairment in depression.
Maintaining a healthy diet with adequate B-vitamin intake might help avoid complications in patients with major depression.

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Depression and B-vitamin Levels

We now know that the links between the environment and the brain-mind are more nuanced than we once thought.

Nutrition has been, and continues to be, a very clear link between the environment and the body’s biology.

The saying goes something like “We are what we eat.”

Today, I will focus on a study by a group from China examining the role of vitamins, specifically the B-vitamin complex, including B9 (folate), B6, and B12, and their association with depression and cognition.

In this study, the authors wanted to find out if there is an association between levels of these vitamins in blood with depression and cognition.

Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression

The authors relayed that, as we clinicians have been aware, cognitive dysfunction can be found in certain depressions. Although not mentioned in the paper, previous generations of psychiatrists used to call this type of cognitive difficulty

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Learning Objectives:

After completing this activity, the learner will be able to:

Describe the relationship between clozapine dose/plasma levels and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.
Explain the dose-dependent relationship between valproate and weight gain.
Compare the relative efficacy of aripiprazole, brexpiprazole, and cariprazine as adjunctive treatments for treatment-resistant depression.
Evaluate the evidence linking delirium to increased risk of dementia.
Identify evidence-based psychosocial and pharmacological treatment approaches for stimulant use disorder.

Original Release Date: February 1, 2025

Expiration Date: February 1, 2028

Experts: Scott Beach, M.D., Paul Zarkowski, M.D. & Derick Vergne, M.D.

Medical Editors: Flavio Guzmán, M.D. & Sebastián Malleza M.D.

Relevant Financial Disclosures:
None of the faculty, planners, and reviewers for this educational activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose during the last 24 months with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

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Credit Designation Statement

Medical Academy designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.