SOME CLINICAL NEUROLOGIC ASPECTS OF VITAMIN B DEFICIENCIES

Abstract

Vitamin B₁(thiamin, aneurin, catorulin) and nicotinic acid are the only components of the vitamin B complex which are known to be of significance in the maintenance of normal neurologic function in man (fig. 1). The use of these substances in the treatment of various neurologic diseases will be discussed in this presentation. A discussion of the diagnosis of the neurologic diseases incident to a deficiency of these substances must be slighted because of the limitation of space. VITAMIN B1 Neuritis.— Neuritis means disease of the neuron (Brown¹). The principal causes of neuritis may be grouped under six inclusive headings, given in the accompanying table, as has been done by Cobb and Coggeshall.²As the causes of neuritis are better understood, such clinical classifications will be replaced by classifications based solely on etiology. Localized Neuritis: This type of neuritis usually occurs in ambulatory patients, and the