The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient discovered in 1935 and its role in blood coagulation has been thoroughly explored. In recent years, studies conducted in vitro and on animals highlighted vitamin K involvement in brain cells development and survival. In particular, vitamin K seems to have an antia...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00239/full |
| _version_ | 1811289102204534784 |
|---|---|
| author | Ludovico Alisi Roberta Cao Cristina De Angelis Arturo Cafolla Francesca Caramia Gaia Cartocci Aloisa Librando Marco Fiorelli |
| author_facet | Ludovico Alisi Roberta Cao Cristina De Angelis Arturo Cafolla Francesca Caramia Gaia Cartocci Aloisa Librando Marco Fiorelli |
| author_sort | Ludovico Alisi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient discovered in 1935 and its role in blood coagulation has been thoroughly explored. In recent years, studies conducted in vitro and on animals highlighted vitamin K involvement in brain cells development and survival. In particular, vitamin K seems to have an antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effect mediated by the activation of Growth Arrest Specific Gene 6 and Protein S. Moreover, this vitamin is involved in sphingolipids metabolism, a class of lipids that participate in the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of brain cells. An altered expression in sphingolipids profile has been related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. This review stems from a growing interest in the role of vitamin K in brain functions, especially in cognition, also in view of an expected increase of prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. It collects recent researches that show interesting, even though not definitive, evidence of a direct correlation between vitamin K levels and cognitive performance. Moreover, vitamin K antagonists, used worldwide as oral anticoagulants, according to recent studies may have a negative influence on cognitive domains such as visual memory, verbal fluency and brain volume. The aim of this review is to analyze the evidence of clinical studies carried out up to date on the relationship between vitamin K intake and cognitive performances. The involvement of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in declining cognitive performances is also addressed separately. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:49:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52066377ab00497e8c0dd6b84dfa5c67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:49:03Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-52066377ab00497e8c0dd6b84dfa5c672022-12-22T03:03:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952019-03-011010.3389/fneur.2019.00239416803The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current EvidenceLudovico Alisi0Roberta Cao1Cristina De Angelis2Arturo Cafolla3Francesca Caramia4Gaia Cartocci5Aloisa Librando6Marco Fiorelli7Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Radiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Cell Biotechnology and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyVitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient discovered in 1935 and its role in blood coagulation has been thoroughly explored. In recent years, studies conducted in vitro and on animals highlighted vitamin K involvement in brain cells development and survival. In particular, vitamin K seems to have an antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effect mediated by the activation of Growth Arrest Specific Gene 6 and Protein S. Moreover, this vitamin is involved in sphingolipids metabolism, a class of lipids that participate in the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of brain cells. An altered expression in sphingolipids profile has been related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. This review stems from a growing interest in the role of vitamin K in brain functions, especially in cognition, also in view of an expected increase of prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. It collects recent researches that show interesting, even though not definitive, evidence of a direct correlation between vitamin K levels and cognitive performance. Moreover, vitamin K antagonists, used worldwide as oral anticoagulants, according to recent studies may have a negative influence on cognitive domains such as visual memory, verbal fluency and brain volume. The aim of this review is to analyze the evidence of clinical studies carried out up to date on the relationship between vitamin K intake and cognitive performances. The involvement of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in declining cognitive performances is also addressed separately.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00239/fullvitamin Kphylloquinonecognitive impairmentvitamin K antagonistswarfarin |
| spellingShingle | Ludovico Alisi Roberta Cao Cristina De Angelis Arturo Cafolla Francesca Caramia Gaia Cartocci Aloisa Librando Marco Fiorelli The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence Frontiers in Neurology vitamin K phylloquinone cognitive impairment vitamin K antagonists warfarin |
| title | The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence |
| title_full | The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence |
| title_fullStr | The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence |
| title_short | The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence |
| title_sort | relationships between vitamin k and cognition a review of current evidence |
| topic | vitamin K phylloquinone cognitive impairment vitamin K antagonists warfarin |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00239/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ludovicoalisi therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT robertacao therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT cristinadeangelis therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT arturocafolla therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT francescacaramia therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT gaiacartocci therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT aloisalibrando therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT marcofiorelli therelationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT ludovicoalisi relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT robertacao relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT cristinadeangelis relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT arturocafolla relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT francescacaramia relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT gaiacartocci relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT aloisalibrando relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence AT marcofiorelli relationshipsbetweenvitaminkandcognitionareviewofcurrentevidence |