School of Medicine Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-16-2025
Abstract
Background
Vitamin D3 is essential for calcium metabolism and exerts pleiotropic effects, including neuroprotective activities in cognition. Its insufficiency has been linked to dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive impairments. The association between vitamin D3 and particular cognitive functions, including memory recall and word intrusion, remains imprecise, particularly among diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups.Objective
To examine the relationship between vitamin D3 levels with memory recall and word intrusion in individuals aged 60 and above, emphasizing demographic differences.Methods
Data was collected from 2759 individuals in the NHANES 2011–2014 surveys. Cognitive performance was evaluated with the CERAD Word Learning, Animal Fluency, and Digit Symbol Substitution assessments. Factor analysis was employed to identify two cognitive domains: F1 ‘Memory Recall’ and F2 ‘Word Intrusion’. Linear and quantile regression models, controlled for demographic variables, were performed to assess the association between vitamin D3 levels and cognitive domains. Bootstrap techniques were used for standard error estimation, and nonparametric regression was applied to identify non-linear correlations.Results
Vitamin D3 levels positively correlated in linear models and quantile regression with F1 ‘Memory Recall’ at diminished cognitive function levels. F2 was not associated with vitamin D3. Socioeconomic factors influenced these correlations, revealing inequalities among ethnic and income groups.Conclusions
Elevated vitamin D3 levels correlate with improved memory recall, especially in individuals with lower cognitive percentiles. These findings suggest the potential of vitamin D3 to alleviate cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the need for focused interventions, particularly in underrepresented demographic groups.Recommended Citation
Lopez-Alvarenga, J. C., Omaña-Guzmán, I., Rosas-Carrasco, O., Cavazos, J. E., Mahaney, M. C., & Maestre, G. E. (2025). Vitamin D and cognition: Demographic disparities in memory recall and word intrusion in a multiethnic cohort. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 13872877251344604. https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877251344604
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
DOI
10.1177/13872877251344604
Academic Level
faculty
Mentor/PI Department
Population Health and Biostatistics
Comments
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). Data is available for this article. View more information