Does vitamin C deficiency affect cognitive development and function?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Does vitamin C deficiency affect cognitive development and function?

AU - Hansen, Stine Normann

AU - Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille

AU - Lykkesfeldt, Jens

PY - 2014/9/19

Y1 - 2014/9/19

N2 - Vitamin C is a pivotal antioxidant in the brain and has been reported to have numerous functions, including reactive oxygen species scavenging, neuromodulation, and involvement in angiogenesis. Absence of vitamin C in the brain has been shown to be detrimental to survival in newborn SVCT2(-/-) mice and perinatal deficiency have shown to reduce hippocampal volume and neuron number and cause decreased spatial cognition in guinea pigs, suggesting that maternal vitamin C deficiency could have severe consequences for the offspring. Furthermore, vitamin C deficiency has been proposed to play a role in age-related cognitive decline and in stroke risk and severity. The present review discusses the available literature on effects of vitamin C deficiency on the developing and aging brain with particular focus on in vivo experimentation and clinical studies.

AB - Vitamin C is a pivotal antioxidant in the brain and has been reported to have numerous functions, including reactive oxygen species scavenging, neuromodulation, and involvement in angiogenesis. Absence of vitamin C in the brain has been shown to be detrimental to survival in newborn SVCT2(-/-) mice and perinatal deficiency have shown to reduce hippocampal volume and neuron number and cause decreased spatial cognition in guinea pigs, suggesting that maternal vitamin C deficiency could have severe consequences for the offspring. Furthermore, vitamin C deficiency has been proposed to play a role in age-related cognitive decline and in stroke risk and severity. The present review discusses the available literature on effects of vitamin C deficiency on the developing and aging brain with particular focus on in vivo experimentation and clinical studies.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - vitamin C

KW - cognition

KW - oxidative stress

KW - ROS

KW - aging

KW - development

KW - stroke

U2 - 10.3390/nu6093818

DO - 10.3390/nu6093818

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25244370

SN - 2072-6643

VL - 6

SP - 3818

EP - 3846

JO - Nutrients

JF - Nutrients

IS - 9

ER -