Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:38:14.811Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Blood Thiamine and Nicotinic Acid Levels in Alcoholism and Confusional States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

P. W. Kershaw*
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, S.W.I

Extract

It has been routine psychiatric practice in recent years to prescribe vitamins in alcoholism and confusional states and sometimes in other organic psychoses. The doses given are massive, varying from about ten to twenty times those strictly necessary in deficiency states. This empirical therapy is supported neither by controlled trials nor by direct evidence of vitamin deficiency.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1967 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baker, H., Frank, O., Fennelly, J. J., and Leevy, C. M. (1964). “Method for assaying thiamine status in man and animals.” Amer. J. clin. Nutr., 14, 197201.Google Scholar
Baker, H., and Sobotka, H. (1962). “Microbiological assay methods for vitamins.” Advanc. clin. Chem., 5, 173235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brozek, J. (1957). “Psychologic effects of thiamine restriction and deprivation in normal young men.” Amer. J. clin. Nutr., 5, 109120.Google Scholar
Buckle, R. W. (1965). “Blood pyruvic and ketoglutaric acids in thiamine deficiency.” Metabolism, 14, 141149.Google Scholar
De Wardener, H. E., and Lennox, B. (1947). “Cerebral beri-beri (Wernicke's encephalography).” Lancet, i, 1117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, M. A., Kaufman, M. L., and Storvich, C. A. (1957). “Microbiological assay for thiamine content of various species of animals and man.” Amer. J. clin. Nutr., 5, 5155.Google Scholar
Elsom, K. O., Lewy, F. H., and Heublin, G. W. (1940). “Clinical studies of experimental human vitamin B complex deficiency.” Amer. J. med. Sci., 200, 757764.Google Scholar
Fennelly, J. J., Frank, O., Baker, H., and Leevy, C. M. (1964). “Peripheral neuropathy of the alcoholic. I. aetiological role of aneurism and other B-complex vitamins.” Brit. med. J., ii, 12901293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gould, J. (1959). “The enzymatic basis of certain psychoses.” In: Recent Progress in Psychiatry. 3, 213, 213–252. London: H. K. Lewis.Google Scholar
Ishbell, H., Fraser, H. F., Wikler, A., Belleville, R. E., and Eisenman, A. J. (1955). “An experimental study of the aetiology of ‘rum fits’ and delirium tremens.” Quart. J. Stud. Alcohol, 16, 133.Google Scholar
Jolliffe, N., Bowman, K. M., Rosenbaum, L. A., and Fein, H. D. (1940). “Nicotinic acid deficiency encephalography.” J. Amer. med. Ass., 114, 307312.Google Scholar
Krawiecki, J. A., Couper, L., and Walton, D. (1957). “The efficiency of parentrovite in the treatment of a group of senile psychotics. J. ment. Sci., 103, 601.Google Scholar
Leevy, C. M., Baker, H., Tenhove, W., Frank, O., and Cherrick, G. (1965). “B-complex vitamins in liver disease of the alcoholic.” Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., 16, 339346.Google Scholar
Post, F. (1959). “Early treatment of persistent senile confusion.” Geront. Clin., 1, 114121.Google Scholar
Sarett, H. P., Pederson, R. L., and Cheldelin, V. H. (1945). “Microbiological assay methods for nicotinic acid.” Arch. Biochem., 7, 7785.Google Scholar
Strachan, R. W., and Henderson, J. G. (1965). “Psychiatric syndromes due to avitaminosis B12 with normal blood and marrow.” Quart. J. Med., 34, 303–3I7.Google Scholar
Sydenstriker, V. P., and Cleckley, H. M. (1941). “The effect of nicotinic acid in stupor, lethargy and various other psychiatric disorders.” Amer. J. Psychiat., 98, 8392.Google Scholar
Victor, M., and Adams, R. D. (1953). “The effect of alcohol on the nervous system.” Res. Publ. Ass. nerv. ment. Dis., 32, 526573.Google Scholar
Williams, R. D., Mason, H. I., Smith, B. F., and Wilder, R. M. (1942). “Induced thiamine deficiency and the thiamine requirements of man.” Arch. intern. Med., 69, 721738.Google Scholar
Williams, R. D., Mason, H. I., Smith, B. F., Power, M. H., and Wilder, R. M. (1943). “Induced thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency in man.” Arch, intern. Med., 71, 3853.Google Scholar
Zieve, L., and Hill, E. (1963). “Vitamin unresponsiveness” progression of classical signs of neuropathy and pellagra during therapy.” Amer. J. clin. Nutr., 13, 312317.Google Scholar
Ziponin, Z. Z., Nunes, W. T., Powell, R. C., Waring, P. O., and Sauberlich, H. E. (1965). “Excretion of thiamine and its metabolites in the urine of young adult males receiving restricted intakes of the vitamin.” J. Nutr., 85, 287296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.