Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42043709›Full record

ReviewCurrent nutrition reports2026

Role of Folate Metabolism in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Insight from Experimental and Clinical Studies.

Meenakshi Umar, Karson Franjieh, Amanda Louise White, Elisse Ward-Dones, Saifudeen Ismael, Rose C Roskey, Jacques Courseault, Gregory Jaye Bix

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Current nutrition reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Meenakshi UmarDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Karson FranjiehDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Amanda Louise WhiteDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Elisse Ward-DonesDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Saifudeen IsmaelDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Rose C RoskeyDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Jacques CourseaultThe Fascia Institute and Treatment Center, 2520 Harvard Ave. Ste 2B, Metairie, LA, USA.
Gregory Jaye BixDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA. gbix@tulane.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewFolate is a key regulator of one-carbon metabolism (OCM), which supports essential physiological processes, including DNA synthesis, repair, methylation, amino acid homeostasis, and redox balance. It is also crucial for brain health throughout life, from neural tube formation during early development to neurotransmitter synthesis, myelination, neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function during later stages of life. Disruption of folate-mediated OCM (FOCM) can adversely affect brain health and contribute to neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize current evidence linking FOCM dysregulation to neurodegenerative diseases, emphasizing disease-specific mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of modulating folate metabolism, as evidenced by experimental and clinical studies. RECENT

findingsDisruption of FOCM can lead to oxidative stress, impaired methylation, excitotoxicity, and neuroinflammation, thereby contributing to neurodegenerative diseases. In Alzheimer’s disease, impaired FOCM promotes amyloid-β accumulation, tau pathology, cognitive decline, and vascular dysfunction, consistent with low folate and elevated homocysteine observed clinically, though supplementation outcomes remain mixed. In Parkinson’s disease, folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia exacerbate motor deficits and dopaminergic neurodegeneration via oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and NLRP3-mediated inflammation and combined folate and vitamin B12 supplementation may reduce levodopa-associated risks. Elevated homocysteine and aberrant FOCM have also been reported in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease and are associated with neuroinflammation, demyelination, neuronal loss, and severe disease phenotypes in these conditions. Overall, maintaining optimal folate levels may be a promising strategy to support brain health and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disorders.

Indexed as

Folic AcidNeurodegenerative DiseasesAlzheimer DiseaseAnimalsBrainFolic Acid DeficiencyHomocysteineHumansHyperhomocysteinemiaOxidative StressParkinson DiseaseFolic AcidHomocysteineAlzheimer's diseaseFolateneurodegenerative diseasesone-carbon metabolismParkinson’s disease

Identifiers

PMID42043709
PMCPMC13121409

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.