Poor emotion detection (Alexithymia ) associated with low vitamin D – March 2014

Alexithymia is associated with low level of vitamin D in young healthy adults.

Nutr Neurosci. 2014 Mar 4:nns309.
Altbäcker A, Plózer E, Darnai G, Perlaki G, Orsi G, Nagy SA, Lucza T, Schwarcz A, Kőszegi T, Kovács N, Komoly S, Janszky J, Clemens Z.

Objective Vitamin D plays an important role in brain development and functioning. Low levels of vitamin D have been described in several psychiatric and neurologic conditions including autism spectrum disorder. Alexithymia that shows high comorbidity with autism is also present in the general population as well as hypovitaminosis D.

Methods Here we assessed the relation between alexithymia as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and vitamin D level in healthy young adults.

Results We found an inverse correlation between the levels of alexithymia and vitamin D.

Discussion These data suggest the association between disturbed emotional processing and low levels of vitamin D to be present in young healthy subjects.

PMID: 24593042

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See also Vitamin D Life

• Overview Autism and vitamin D
• Autism treated by Vitamin D: Dr. Cannell - video June 2013 includes many reasons why he believes Autism is related to Vitamin D

1. Both have strong inheritance features – Vitamin D about 60%
2. Both have gotten substantially worse in last 30 years
3. Vitamin D is known to be involved in brain development
4. All autistic children are VitD deficient, but not all children who are deficient are autistic: genes are involved
5. When giving vitamin D to cure children of rickets “mental dullness” decreases as well
6. Children with genes which give them too much (Williams Syndrome) have to reverse of autism – too sociable
7. Mothers having lots of fish (and thus more vitamin D) give birth to kids with less autistic symptoms
8. Both associated with weak bones
9. Both worse around the age of weaning
10. Autism is more common in rich families – more likely to apply sun screen and stay indoors
11. Autism increases with drugs which lower levels of vitamin D
12. Seizures are common with Autism - Vitamin D has been shown to reduce seizures
13. Fewer autistic symptoms (such as sleep problems) during summer: when child gets more vitamin D from the sun
14. Both worse with latitude
15. Both vary with Ultraviolet light
16. Both vary with time of year (more birth of autistics in March in Northern hemisphere)
17. 2X more urban autism – less UVB in urban environments
18. Both worse with pollution
19. Both worse with increased clouds and rain
20. Both worse with closely spaced pregnancies
21. Autistics have abnormal immune response – similar to that of vitamin D deficiency
22. Low levels of vitamin D in mother animals reduces brain function in offspring
23. Vitamin deficient rat pups have similar brain abnormalities to that of human autistic children
24. Autistic children get less vitamin D in their blood for the same amount of sun exposure
25. The 4 males/1 female ratio - Note estrogen increases vitamin D in the brain (testosterone does not)
26. Both worse in African Americans (A-A 2-3 increased autism rate)
27. Both worse in Dark-skinned immigrants in Europe

•    Note: All articles in Autism category 133 items