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Low vitamin D levels predict clinical features of schizophrenia
- Source :
- Schizophrenia research. 159(2-3)
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Vitamin D plays crucial roles in neuroprotection and neurodevelopment, and low levels are commonly associated with schizophrenia. We considered if the association was spurious or causal by examining the association of Vitamin D with Leukocyte Telomere Length (LTL), a marker of cellular aging. Vitamin D levels in 22 well-characterized schizophrenia cases were examined with respect to symptoms, cognition, and functioning. LTL was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that 91% (20) had deficient or insufficient Vitamin D levels, which were associated with excitement and grandiosity, social anhedonia, and poverty of speech. Sex-specific analyses showed strong associations of hypovitamintosis D to negative symptoms and decreased premorbid adjustment in males, and to lesser hallucinations and emotional withdrawal, but increased anti-social aggression in females. In females LTL was furthermore associated with Vitamin D levels. This study demonstrates a relationship of low vitamin D levels with increased cellular aging in females. It is also the first study to demonstrate potential sex-specific profiles among schizophrenia cases with hypovitaminosis.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Comorbidity
Neuroprotection
vitamin D deficiency
Article
Sex Factors
Internal medicine
medicine
Vitamin D and neurology
Leukocytes
Humans
Vitamin D
Psychiatry
Biological Psychiatry
Telomere Shortening
Aggression
Anhedonia
Cognition
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Vitamin D Deficiency
Psychiatry and Mental health
Endocrinology
Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia
Female
medicine.symptom
Psychology
Social Adjustment
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15732509
- Volume :
- 159
- Issue :
- 2-3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Schizophrenia research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c7e82d7ccbd08295f40023a5e005833a