Skip to main content
Log in

Folates and Psychiatric Disorders

Clinical Potential

  • Leading Article
  • Published:
Drugs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Abalan F, Subra G, Picard M, Boueilh P. Fréquence des déficiences en vitamine B12 ou en acide folique chez les patientes admises en géranto-psychiatrie. Encéphale 10: 9–12, 1984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abou-Saleh MT, Spalding E, Kellett J. Folate deficiency in dementia. British Journal of Psychiatry 148: 336–337, 1986

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agnoli A, Andreoli V, Casacchia M, Serbo R. Effect of S-adenosyl 1-methionine (SAMe) upon depressive symptons. Journal of Psychiatric Research 13: 43–54, 1976

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baldessarini RJ. Neuropharmacology of S-adenosyl methionine. American Journal of Medicine 83 (Suppl. 5a): 95–103, 1987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bell KM, Plom L, Bunney WE. S-adenosyl methionine treatment of depression; a controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry 145: 1110–1114, 1988

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blair JA, Morar C, Hamon CGB, Barford PA, Pheasant AE, et al. Tetrahydrobiopterin metabolism in depression. Lancet 2: 163, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bleyer WA, Drake JC, Chabner BA. Neurotoxicity and elevated cerebrospinal fluid methotrexate concentration in meningeal leukaemia. New England Journal of Medicine 289: 770–773, 1973

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bober MJ. Senile dementia and nutrition. British Medical Journal 288: 1234, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boles JM, Youinou P, Garre M, Jouquan I, Legendre JM, et al. La carence en acide folique: fréquence chez 480 malades. Conséquences sur la phagocytose des polynucléaires neutrophiles. Revue de Medecine Interne 3: 51–56, 1982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Cadotte M, Beaulieu R, Pichette LP, Pison C. Neurological disorders responsive to folic acid therapy. Canadian Medical Association Journal 115: 217–222, 1976

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Reynolds EH (Eds). Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, Raven Press, New York, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Botez T, Leveille J, Bielmann P, Cadotte M. Neurological correlates of folic acid deficiency: facts and hypotheses. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 435–461, Raven Press, New York, 1979a

    Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Young SN, Bachevalier J, Gauthier S. Folate deficiency and decreased brain 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis in man and rat. Nature 278: 182–183, 1979b

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Peyronnard JM, Bérubé L, Labrecque R. Relapsing neuropathy, cerebral atrophy and folate deficiency. Applied Neurophysiology 42: 171–183, 1979c

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Young SN, Bachevalier J, Gauthier S. The effect of folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency on 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in human cerebrospinal fluid. Annals of Neurology 12: 479–484, 1982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Botez T, Maag V. The Wechsler subtests in mild organic brain damage associated with folate deficiency. Psychological Medicine 14: 431–437, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botez MI, Botez T. Neurologic and psychiatric illnesses and folate deficiency: a review. Recent knowledge on iron and folate deficiencies in the world. Colloque INSERM 197: 429–440, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottiglieri T, Laundy M, Martin R, Carney MWP, Nissenbaum H, et al. S-adenosyl methionine influences monoamine metabolism. Lancet 2: 224, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bottiglieri T, Carney MWP, Edeh J, Laundy M, Martin R, et al. A biochemical study of depressed patients receiving S-adenosyl methionine (SAM). In Borchardt RT et al. (Eds) Biological methylation and drug design, pp. 327–338, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 1986

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bottiglieri T, Hyland K, Laundy M, Godfrey PSA, Carney MWP, et al. Folate, homocysteine and monoamine metabolism in depression. Pteridines 3: 151–152, 1992a

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bottiglieri T, Hyland K, Laundy M, Godfrey PSA, Carney MWP, et al. Folate deficiency, biopterin and monoamine metabolism in depression. Psychological Medicine 22: 871–876, 1992b

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brocker, Lebel C, Maurin H, Lods JC. Carences en folates chez sûjets âges: interêt de leur correction dans le traitement des troubles du comportement. Semaine des Hôpitaux de Paris 62: 2135–2139, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP. Serum folate values in 423 psychiatric patients. British Medical Journal 4: 512–516, 1967

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP. Neuropharmacology of S-adenosyl methionine. Clinical Neuropharmacology 9: 235–243, 1986

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP, Sheffield BF. Associations of subnormal serum folate and vitamin B12 values and effects of replacement therapy. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 150: 404–412, 1970

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP, Sheffield BF. Serum folic acid and B12 in 272 psychiatric in-patients. Psychological Medicine 8: 139–144, 1978

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP, Chary TKN, Bottiglieri T, et al. Switch mechanism in affective illness and oral S-adenosyl methionine. British Journal of Psychiatry 150: 724–725, 1987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP, Chary TKN, Bottiglieri T, Reynolds EH. The switch mechanism and the bipolar/unipolar dichotomy. British Journal of Psychiatry 154: 48–51, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carney MWP, Chary TKN, Laundy M, Bottiglieri T, Chanarin I, et al. Red cell folate concentrations in psychiatric patients. Journal of Affective Disorders 19: 207–213, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chanarin I. The megaloblastic anaemias, Blackwell, Oxford, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapuy P, Remet JC, Karlin R. Interet du dosage de la vitamine B12 et des folates. Revue de Geriatrie 2: 151–156, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton PT, Smith I, Harding B, Hyland K, Leonard JV, et al. Subacute combined degeneration of the cord, dementia and parkinsonism due to an inborn error of folate metabolism. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 49: 920–927, 1986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coppen A, Abou-Saleh MT. Plasma folate and affective morbidity during long term lithium therapy. British Journal of Psychiatry 141: 87–89, 1982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coppen A, Chaudry S, Swade C. Folic acid enhances lithium prophylaxis. Journal of Affective Diseases 10: 9–13, 1986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coppen A, Swade C, Jones SA, Armstrong RA, Blair JA, et al. Depression and tetrahydropbiopterin: the folate connection. Journal of Affective Disorders 16: 103–107, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crellin RF, Flynn TG, Laundy M, Toone BK, Reynolds EH, et al. Methylfolate as a monotherapy in depression. Presented at the Annual Meeting of Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dublin, July 24–27, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  • Edeh J, Toone BK. Antiepileptic therapy, folate deficiency and psychiatric morbidity: results of a survey in general practice. Epilepsia 26: 434–440, 1985

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedel HA, Goa KL, Benfield P. S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic potential in liver dysfunction and affective disorders in relation to its physiological role in cell metabolism. Drugs 38: 389–416, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghadirian AM, Ananth J, Engelsmann F. Folic acid deficiency and depression. Psychosomatics 21: 926–929, 1980

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Girdwood RH, Thomson AD, Williamson S. Folate status in the elderly. British Medical Journal 2: 670–672, 1967

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Godfrey PSA, Toone BK, Carney MWP, Flynn TG, Bottiglieri T, et al. Enhancement of recovery from psychiatric illness by methyl folate. Lancet 336: 392–395, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin JS, Goodwin JM, Garry PJ. Association between nutritional status and cognitive functioning in a healthy elderly population. Journal of the American Medical Association 249: 2917–2921, 1983

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray GE, Leong GB. Serum folate levels in U.S. psychiatric inpatients. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 47: 98–99, 1986

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gündersen HJG. Serum folate in psychiatric patients under long term treatment with tricyclic neuroleptic drugs. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 45: 133–136, 1969

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hallstrom T. Serum B12 and folate concentrations in mental patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 45: 19–36, 1969

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamon CBG, Blair JA, Barford PA. The effect of methyltetrahydrofolate on tetrhydrobiopterin metabolism. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research 30: 170–183, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  • Hommes OR, Hollinger JL, Jansen NJT, et al. Convulsant properties in folate compounds: some considerations and speculations. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 285–316, Raven Press, New York, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter R, Jones M, Jones TG, Matthews DM. Serum B12 and folate concentrations in mental patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 113: 1291–1295, 1967

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter R, Barnes J, Oakeley MF, Matthews DM. Toxicity of folic acid given in pharmacological doses to healthy volunteers. Lancet 1: 61–63, 1970

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hurdle ADF, Williams TCP. Folic acid deficiency in elderly patients admitted to hospital. British Medical Journal 2: 202–205, 1966

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyland K, Smith I, Bottiglieri T, Perry J, Wendel U, et al. Demyelination and decreased S-adenosyl methionine in 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency. Neurology 38: 459–462, 1988

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ibotson RN, Dilena BA, Horwood JM. Studies on deficiency and absorbtion of folates in patients on anticonvulsant drugs. Australasian Annals of Medicine 16: 144–150, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen ON, Olesen OV. Folic acid concentrations in psychiatric patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 45: 289–294, 1969

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kallstrorn B, Nylof R. Vitamin B12 and folic acid in psychiatric disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 43: 137–152, 1969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kariks J, Perry SW. Folic acid deficiency in psychiatric patients. Medical Journal of Australia 1: 1192–1195, 1970

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman S. Regulatory properties of pterin-dependent hydroxylases: varitions on a theme. In Kaufman et al. (Eds) Function and regulation of monoamine enzymes, pp. 165–173, Macmillan, New York, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman S. Some metabolic relationships between biopterin and folate: implications for the ‘methyl trap hypothesis’. Neurochemistry Research 16: 1031–1036, 1991

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kay HEM, Knapton PJ, O’Sullivan JP, Wells DG, Harris RF, et al. Encephalopathy in acute leukaemia associated with methotrexate therapy. Archives of Disease in Childhood 47: 344–354, 1972

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korevaar WC, Geyer MA, Knapp S, Hsu LL, Mandell AJ. Regional distribution of 5 methyl-tetrahydrofolic acid in brain. Nature 245: 244–245, 1973

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krai VA, Solyom L, Enesco H, Ledwidge B. Relationship of vitamin B12 and folk acid to memory function. Biological psychiatry 2: 19–26, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Leaver EG, Elwes RDC, Williams A, Reynolds EH. Subacute combined degeneration of the cord due to folate deficiency: response to methylfolate treatment. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 49: 1203–1207, 1986

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MRC Study Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of MRC Vitamin Research study. Lancet 338: 131–137, 1991

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niederweiser A. Inborn errors of pterin metabolism. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 349–384, Raven Press, New York, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Passeri M, Cucinotta D, Abate G, Senin U, Ventura A, et al. Oral 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in senile organic mental disorders with depression: resutts of a double-blind multicenter study. Aging. Clinical and Experimental Research, in press, 1993

  • Read AE, Gough AR, Pardoe JL, Nicholas A. Nutritional studies on the entrants to an old peoples home with particular reference to folic acid deficiency. British Medical Journal 2: 843–848, 1965

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Effects of folic acid on the mental state and fit frequency of drug treated epileptic patients. Lancet 1: 1186–1188, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Neurological aspects of folate and vitamin B12 metabolism. Clinics in Haematology 5: 661–696, 1976

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Folic acid, vitamin B12 and the nervous system: historical aspects. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 1–5, Raven Press, New York, 1979a

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Cerebrospinal fluid folate: clinical studies. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 195–203, Raven Press, New York, 1979b

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Folic acid and neuropsychiatry. Farmaci & Terapia 2: 163–168, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH. Interictal psychiatric disorders: neurochemical aspects. Advances in Neurology 55: 47–58, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH, Preece JM, Bailey J, Coppen A. Folate deficiency in depressive illness. British Journal of Psychiatry 117: 287–292, 1970

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH, Preece J, Johnson AL. Folate metabolism in epileptic and psychiatric patients. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 34: 726–732, 1971

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH, Rothfield P, Pincus JH. Neurological disease associated with folate deficiency. British Medical Journal 2: 398–400, 1973

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH, Stramentinoli G. Folic acid, S-adenosyl methionine and affective disorder. Psychological Medicine 13: 705–710, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds EH, Carney MWP, Toone BK. Methylation and mood. Lancet 2: 196–198, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson MM, Trimble MR. Depressive illness in patients with epilepsy: a review. Epilepsia 24 (Suppl.): 5109–5116, 1983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodin E, Schmaltz S. Folate levels in epileptic patients. In Advances in epileptology, XIVth Epilepsy International Symposium, pp.143–153, Raven Press, New York, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblatt DS. Inherited disorders of folate transport and metabolism. In Scriver et al. (Eds) The metabolic basis of inherited disease, 6th ed., pp. 693–735, McGraw, New York, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  • Roudier M, Hercberg S, Soustre Y, Galan P, Kadouche J, et al. Statut en fer et en folates d’une populations de sûjets âges vivant en hôpital gériatrique de long séjour. Cahiers de Nutrition et de Dietetique 19: 1927–1929, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  • Runcie J. Folate deficiency in the elderly. In Botez & Reynolds (Eds) Folic acid in neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine, pp. 497–499, Raven Press, New York, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapira JD, Tullis S. Mallaly R. Reversible dementia due to folate deficiency. Southern Medical Journal 68: 776–778, 1975

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz SO, Kaplan SW, Armstrong BE. The long term evaluation of folic acid in the treatment of pernicious anaemia. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 35: 894–898, 1950

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw DM, MacSweeney DA, Johnson AL, O’Keefe R, Naidoo D, et al. Folate and amine metabolites in senile dementia: a combined trial and biochemical study. Psycholological Medicine 1: 166–171, 1971

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw DM, Tidmarsh SF, Thomas DE, Briscoe M, Dickerson JWT, et al. Senile dementia and nutrition. British Medical Journal 288: 792–793, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shorvon SD, Carney MWP, Chanarin I, Reynolds EH. The neuropsychiatry of megaloblastic anaemia. British Medical Journal 281: 1036–1042, 1980

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shulman R. A survey of Vitamin B12 deficiency in an elderly psychiatric population. British Journal of Psychiatry 113: 241–251, 1967

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sneath P, Chanarin I, Hodkinson HM, McPherson CK, Reynolds EH. Folate status in a geriatric population and its relation to dementia. Age and Ageing 2: 177–182, 1973

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sommer BR, Wolkowitz OM. RBC folic acid levels and cognitive performance in elderly patients: a preliminary report. Biological Psychiatry 24: 352–334, 1988

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spector R, Lorenzo AV. Folate transport in the central nervous system. American Journal of Physiology 229: 777–782, 1975

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strachan RW, Henderson JG. Dementia and folate deficiciency. Quarterly Journal of Medicine 36: 189–204, 1967

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas CS, Bottiglieri T, Edeh J, Carney MWP, Reynolds EH, et al. The influence of S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) on prolactih in depressed patients. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 2: 97–103, 1987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton WE, Thornton BP. Geriatric mental function and serum folate: a review and survey. Southern Medical Journal 70: 919–922, 1977

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, WE, Thornton BP. Folic acid, mental function and dietary habits. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 39: 315–322, 1978

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trimble MR, Corbett JA, Donaldson D. Folic acid and mental symptoms in children with epilepsy. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 43: 1030–1034, 1980

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young SN, Ghadirian AM. Folic acid and psychopathology. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 13: 841–863, 1989

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crellin, R., Bottiglieri, T. & Reynolds, E.H. Folates and Psychiatric Disorders. Drugs 45, 623–636 (1993). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-199345050-00001

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-199345050-00001

Keywords

Navigation