ArticleBrain and behavior2025
Causal Effects of Circulating Micronutrients on Cognitive Function: Evidence From a Mendelian Randomization Study.
Article in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCognitive impairment is a growing concern worldwide, driven by an aging population. Emerging evidence suggests that micronutrients may play critical roles in maintaining cognitive health and preventing neurodegeneration. However, the causal relationships between specific micronutrients and cognitive function remain unclear.
methodsThis study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal effects of 16 circulating micronutrients on cognitive function. Genetic variants associated with micronutrient levels were used as instrumental variables (IVs), and cognitive outcomes, including reaction time, cognitive performance, prospective memory, and fluid intelligence, were assessed using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and robustness of the findings.
resultsMR analysis revealed potential positive effects of β-carotene and phosphorus on reaction time, reflecting faster cognitive responses. Vitamin E was positively associated with cognitive performance, while vitamin B6 had a negative effect. Selenium was positively correlated with fluid intelligence, whereas elevated vitamin A1 levels were associated with reduced fluid intelligence. No significant associations were observed for other micronutrients across the cognitive domains assessed.
conclusionThis study highlights the roles of specific micronutrients, like β-carotene, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin E, in cognitive health, while excessive vitamin A1 and B6 may be harmful, warranting further investigation.
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