TORONTO (Reuters Health) - Some problems with attention and hearing in the elderly are linked to a deficiency in vitamin B12, and may be reversible, according to researchers.

The findings were presented here at the 28th World Congress of the International Society of Hematology by Dr. Ralph Carmel from the New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, and colleagues.

People in the study had a specific type of impairment related to the ability to pay attention and hear changes in sounds. The researchers measured this attention deficit by having people listen to pulsing sounds while their brain waves were measured.

Among the pulsing sounds in the test would be the occasional ``oddball'' or different sound. Normally, unusual changes in sound cause a slight change in the brainwave patterns (called P300 activity) of the listener, according to the researchers. When there is no change, a cognitive or attention problem may be the cause.

Enrolled in the study were 55 people over the age of 60, of whom 34 were found to have low levels of vitamin B12. The remaining 21 had no B12 deficiency, and were included as 'controls' for comparison.

Of the 34 people who had a deficiency in vitamin B12, 14 had an abnormal P300, while 12 had a normal test. Of the 21 controls, only two had an abnormal P300 while the remainder had normal tests.

All the volunteers were given B12 treatments for 6 months, after which the P300 tests were repeated. There was a significant improvement in eight of the 14, and no change in the two from the control group. There were also no changes in those who had normal test results the first time round.

It is possible that the eight had B12-linked cognitive problems which were reversed with treatment, the researchers say. The others (in both groups) who had abnormal P300 tests may have had abnormal tests for reasons other than a deficiency of the vitamin, they explain.

(From Yahoo)