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Assessing vitamin D in the central nervous system
Author(s) -
Holmøy T.,
Moen S. M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01383.x
Subject(s) - vitamin d and neurology , multiple sclerosis , vitamin d deficiency , disease , medicine , immune system , calcitriol receptor , hypovitaminosis , immunology , vitamin , central nervous system , endocrinology
Holmøy T, Moen SM. Assessing vitamin D in the central nervous system. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122 (Suppl. 190): 88–92. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggest that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. The activated form of vitamin D exerts several immunomodulating properties in vitro and in vivo , that could contribute to explain the association with multiple sclerosis. Hypovitaminosis D is also associated with several other neurological diseases that is less likely mediated by dysregulated immune responses, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and affective disorders, suggesting a more diverse role for vitamin D in the maintenance of brain health. Accordingly, both the vitamin D receptor and the enzymes necessary to synthesize bioactive 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D are expressed in the brain, and hypovitaminosis D is associated with abnormal development and function of the brain. We here review current knowledge on the intrathecal vitamin D homeostasis in heath and disease, highlighting the need to assess vitamin D in the intrathecal compartment.