Moderating effects of serum vitamin D on brain structure

Introduction The vitamin D level is known to affect a wide range of pathways in the human metabolism. As an example, vitamin D deficiency, which is common in the german population, has been linked to Alzheimerʼs disease and modifications of brain structures. Here, we investigate this association in the second cohort of the “Study of Health in Pomerania” (SHIP-TREND-0) study (Völzke et al., 2011). Head MRI and 25(OH)D serum values were collected from N = 1899 subjects. The brain data is characterized by hippocamus volumina, white matter hyperintensities and brain structure-based scores for Alzheimerʼs disease and brain age.

Methods We study the influence of vitamin D on FreeSurfer Brain Age (FSBA), FreeSurfer Alzheimerʼs disease and dementia (FSAD), hippocampus volumina and white matter hyperintensities using regression models. The data is adjusted for various confounders such as age, sex, season, calcium, cholesterin and depression.

Results Based on previous studies, we expect an association between vitamin D deficiency and reduced hippocampus volumina, increased brain age, increased Alzheimerʼs score and a higher amount of white matter hyperintensities.

Conclusion The possible relation of vitamin D levels to the brain structure might offer a simple path to positively influence the brain structure by applying vitamin D medication.