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REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry

Sec. Public Mental Health

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1569826

Exploring Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Vitamin B Complex Deficiencies

Provisionally accepted
Anamaria HanAnamaria Han1Leandro AlmeidaLeandro Almeida1Nikhilesh AnandNikhilesh Anand2Ihsan SalloumIhsan Salloum2Salim KanaanSalim Kanaan1Bharathi Shrikanth GadadBharathi Shrikanth Gadad2*João Paulo Lima DaherJoão Paulo Lima Daher1*
  • 1Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 2The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, United States

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B complex vitamins, a group of eight water-soluble vitamins, play interconnected roles in maintaining nervous system health. Thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3) are essential as co-enzymes in numerous metabolic reactions related to energy production. Thiamine is involved in the Krebs cycle, riboflavin in the electron transport chain, and niacin plays a key role in both glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. These metabolic processes are vital for sustaining the integrity of the nervous system, as the energy produced is critical for the functioning of nerve cells. Deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to significant neurological and psychiatric conditions, including Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and various mental illnesses. Additionally, pyridoxine (B6), folate (B9), and cobalamin (B12) are indispensable coenzymes for the methylation of homocysteine to methionine, a process critical to nervous system function. Elevated homocysteine levels, resulting from deficiencies of these vitamins, are associated with higher risks of depression and dementia. Thus, imbalances in these vitamins can disrupt key biochemical pathways, leading to neuropsychiatric disorders. The literature reviewed underscores the importance of daily intake of B complex vitamins to maintain normal serum levels and optimal neuronal function. This review aims to elucidate the neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with deficiencies in these vitamins.

Keywords: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Folate, cobalamin, Complex B vitamins, neuropsychiatric manifestations

Received: 01 Feb 2025; Accepted: 16 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Han, Almeida, Anand, Salloum, Kanaan, Gadad and Daher. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Bharathi Shrikanth Gadad, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, United States
João Paulo Lima Daher, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, 24220-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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