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Thiamine, Riboflavin and Pyridoxine Deficiency in Psychiatric In-Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

M. W. P. Carney ,
A. Ravindran ,
M. G. Rinsler  and
D. G. Williams
M. W. P. Carney
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex and Shenley Hospital
A. Ravindran
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre
M. G. Rinsler
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre
D. G. Williams
Affiliation:
Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Summary

One hundred and seventy-two successive admissions to a district general hospital psychiatric unit were examined. Routine psychiatric, drug and dietary histories were taken and signs of avitaminosis B specifically noted. Red cell transketolase (for thiamine deficiency), glutathione reductase (for riboflavin deficiency) and aspartate transaminase (for pyridoxine deficiency) were measured. Of the patients, 53 per cent were deficient in at least one vitamin, 12 per cent in more than one (30 per cent in thiamine, 27 per cent in riboflavin and 9 per cent in pyridoxine). Schizophrenics and alcoholics were significantly over-represented in those patients low in thiamine and in more than one vitamin. Patients with an affective disorder had low riboflavin and low pyridoxine. It is suggested that affective changes are characteristic of riboflavin and pyridoxine deficiency.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 141 , Issue 3 , September 1982 , pp. 271 - 272
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1982 

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References

Carney, M. W. P., Williams, D. G. & Sheffield, B. F. (1979) Thiamine and pyridoxine lack in newly-admitted psychiatric patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 249–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shorvon, S. D., Chanarin, I., Carney, M. W. P. & Reynolds, E. H. (1980) The neuropsychiatry of megaloblastic anaemia. British Medical Journal, 281, 1036–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, D. G. (1976) Methods for the estimation of three vitamin-dependent red cell enzymes. Clinical Biochemistry, 9, 252–5.Google ScholarPubMed
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