Researchers have found that vitamin B12 levels in the brain are lower in people with autism or schizophrenia compared to people of the same age without the mental conditions.

Vitamin B12 naturally decreases with age but children with autism under age 10 were found to have brain B12 levels three times lower than what other children from the same age group have. As this level closely resembles what is normal in healthy adults in their 50s, the finding indicates a premature decline in the vitamin.

For a study published in the journal PLOS One, Richard Deth and colleagues analyzed tissues from deceased but healthy donors and those from patients with autism or schizophrenia and compared the samples.

According to Deth, their findings are significant because these show results not normally observed in the blood, where levels of the vitamin are usually measured, and could help explain why individuals suffering from the disorders are affected by neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms.

Additionally, the researchers also found that elderly but otherwise healthy people between the ages of 61 and 80 years old had brain B12 levels about three times lower than what people from younger age groups had. Again, this is a normal result of aging, and can be seen as a way for the brain to adjust metabolism and sustain its functions for an individual's remaining years.

Methylcobalamin, or methyl B12, is an active form of the vitamin, which supports the normal development of the brain through epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Methyl B12 is also lower in the elderly than in younger people.

Both autism and schizophrenia are related to oxidative stress, a major factor in aging. According to the researchers, oxidative stress may be at the heart of why B12 levels in the brain decrease.

Given methyl B12's role in neurodevelopment, the results of the study point to a need for further research to see if using supplements and antioxidants may help prevent oxidative stress from setting in.

Photo: Francois Schnell | Flickr