VITAMIN D AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP?

Abstract

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe, heterogeneous disorder of little known cause, with psychotic symptoms that significantly impair social functioning. One of the etiological factors is due to an injury or abnormality of brain structures and neurotransmitter dysfunction. Vitamin D has an important effect on the functioning of the central nervous system. And its deficiency at different stages of life is associated with neuroanatomical and neurophysiological abnormalities that resemble the condition of the schizophrenic patient. Aim: To verify the scientific evidence about the association between low levels of vitamin D and the prevalence of schizophrenia. Methods: This is a systematic review of observational studies, including articles that evaluated individuals with schizophrenia associated with vitamin D deficiency. PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Virtual Health Library-Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (BVSLILACS) and Cochrane Library platforms were used as databases. The variables analyzed include the prevalence of schizophrenia, changes caused by schizophrenia in the central nervous system, changes caused by vitamin D deficiency in the central nervous system and the relationship between schizophrenia and vitamin D deficiency. Results: 573 articles were found, of which 11 articles were selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria, these records show the correlation of hypovitaminosis D with schizophrenia.