XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
  Memory
  Regeneration
  Stroke
  Brain Diseases
  Headache
  Spinal Cord Diseases
  Demyelinating Diseases
  Neurodegenerative Diseases
  Taste
  Trigeminal Neuralgia
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
 
 India
Search

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM

Neurosciences Channel
subscribe to Neurosciences newsletter

Latest Research : Neurosciences

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Potential link between celiac disease and cognitive decline discovered
Oct 10, 2006 - 12:51:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr. Priya Saxena

Dr. Murray suggests that recognizing and treating celiac disease early will likely prevent most consequences of the disease, including symptoms in the gut or the brain.

 
Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered a new link between celiac disease, a digestive condition triggered by consumption of gluten, and dementia or other forms of cognitive decline. The investigators' case series analysis -- an examination of medical histories of a group of patients with a common problem -- of 13 patients will be published in the October issue of Archives of Neurology.

"There has been very little known about this connection between celiac disease and cognitive decline until now," says Keith Josephs, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and study investigator. "This is the largest case series to date of patients demonstrating cognitive decline within two years of the onset of celiac disease symptom onset or worsening."

Says Joseph Murray, M.D., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and study investigator, "There has been a fair amount written before about celiac disease and neurological issues like peripheral neuropathy (nerve problems causing numbness or pain) or balance problems, but this degree of brain problem -- the cognitive decline we've found here -- has not been recognized before. I was not expecting there would be so many celiac disease patients with cognitive decline."

The next step in the research will be to investigate the measure and nature of the connection between the two conditions.

"It's possible it's a chance connection, but given the temporal link between the celiac symptoms starting or worsening and the cognitive decline within a two-year time span, especially the simultaneous occurrence in five patients, this is unlikely a chance connection," says Dr. Josephs. "Also, these patients are relatively young to have dementia."

Theories to explain the connection between celiac disease and cognitive decline include the following, according to Dr. Murray:

* Nutritional deficiency
* Inflammatory cytokines -- chemical messengers of inflammation that could contribute to problems in the brain
* An immune attack on the brain that may occur in some patients with celiac disease

The cognitive decline that occurred in three of the celiac disease patients studied, according to Dr. Josephs, is relatively unique in its reversal in two of the patients and stabilization in one patient. Typically, cognitive decline continues to worsen, he says. "This is key that we may have discovered a reversible form of cognitive impairment," he says.

William Hu, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic neurology resident and study investigator, says that the reversal or stabilization of the cognitive symptoms in some patients when they underwent gluten withdrawal also argues against chance as an explanation of the link between celiac disease and cognitive decline.

Currently, the investigators do not know which celiac disease patients are at risk for cognitive decline; this deserves future investigation, says Dr. Hu.

Dr. Murray suggests that recognizing and treating celiac disease early will likely prevent most consequences of the disease, including symptoms in the gut or the brain. For celiac disease patients who have already developed cognitive decline, closely following a gluten-free diet may result in some symptom improvement, he says. For those with cognitive decline without a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease, he does not recommend a gluten-free diet, however.

Physicians can play an important role in keeping alert to a potential celiac disease and cognitive decline connection, says Dr. Hu.

"For patients who come in with atypical forms of dementia, we need to consider checking for celiac disease, especially if the patients have diarrhea, weight loss or a younger age of onset -- under age 70," he says.
 

- October issue of Archives of Neurology
 

www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

 
Subscribe to Neurosciences Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 

To conduct this case series analysis, the researchers identified 13 Mayo Clinic patients with documented cognitive impairment within two years of onset of symptoms or severe exacerbation of adult celiac disease. All celiac disease had been confirmed by small-bowel biopsy, and any patients for whom an alternate cause of cognitive decline could be identified were excluded from the analysis. Patients included five women and eight men, with a median onset of cognitive decline at age 64 that coincided with onset or worsening of symptoms of diarrhea, the presence of excess fat in the stools and abdominal cramping in five patients. The most common reasons for seeking medical help were amnesia, confusion and personality changes. The average score on the Short Test of Mental Status among the 13 patients was 28 out of 38 possible total, indicating moderate cognitive impairment. Ten patients experienced loss of coordination and four experienced symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Four patients demonstrated deficiency in folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin E or a combination of these deficiencies, although supplementation did not improve the patients' cognitive decline. Three patients' cognitive decline either improved or stabilized when they completely withdrew from gluten consumption. A brain autopsy or biopsy was completed in five patients, and there was no evidence of Alzheimer's disease or any other well-known causes for dementia.

Celiac disease occurs in 1 out of 133 people and predominantly affects Caucasians, according to Dr. Murray. Symptoms can include intermittent diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, or no gastrointestinal symptoms at all. It can also manifest in weight loss, fatigue, anemia, general weakness, foul-smelling or grayish stools that may be fatty or oily, osteoporosis or stunted growth (in children only). The condition may also cause symptoms far outside of the gut. Nine out of 10 times, the disease is not discovered due to the vague nature of the symptoms, according to Dr. Murray. The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. For further information on celiac disease, see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319.


Related Neurosciences News

Memories: It's all in the packaging
New Effort to Treat Stroke More Effectively
Atrial Fibrillation linked to Reduced Cognitive Performance
Human Memory Gene Identified
Laser Analysis Points to Brain Pigment's Hidden Anatomy
Cause of nerve fiber damage in multiple sclerosis identified
REGARDS Study: Stroke Symptoms Common Among General Population
Signals That Tell Fly Neurons to Extend or Retract
Potential link between celiac disease and cognitive decline discovered
Progesterone for Traumatic brain injury??


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us