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Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease
Rodríguez-Martín JL, Qizilbash N, López-Arrieta JM.. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2001-01-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Vitamin B1 (thiamine) plays an important role in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (a form of amnesia caused by brain damage occurring in long-term alcoholics who rely mainly on alcohol for nutrition). The acute syndrome is normally reversible but may proceed to profound dementia, although its progress can be stopped by a timely injection of a large dose of thiamine. There have been suggestions that thiamine may have a beneficial effect in Alzheimer's disease. Objectives The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of thiamine for people with Alzheimer's disease. Search strategy The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Issue 3:2000), the CDCIG Trials Register and other sources were searched for this update in July 2000 using the terms 'alzheimer*', thiamin* and vitamin B1'. In addition bibliographies of published reviews, and conference proceedings were searched and pharmaceutical companies and trials investigators were contacted. Selection criteria All unconfounded, double-blind, randomized trials in which treatment with thiamine was administered for more than a day and compared with placebo in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Data collection and analysis Data were extracted independently by two reviewers and the odds ratios (95% CI) or the average differences (95% CI) were estimated. Main results There are three included studies, but few results were reported that could be included. The cross-over studies did not report results from the first phase. It was not possible to pool any results for a meta-analysis. Nolan 1991 reports results that show no evidence of an effect on MMSE at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months for thiamine compared with placebo for those who completed the trial. Meador 1993a noted that 3/8 on thiamine compared with 6/9 on placebo were worse as measured on the ADAS-Cog at 3 months compared with baseline, but the difference is not statistically significant. Blass 1988 and Nolan 1991 reported that no significant side-effects were noted during the study, and Meador 1993a did not mention side-effects. Blass 1988 noted that 5/16 and Nolan 1991 that 5/15 did not complete the study, but neither mentioned the groups to which these people belonged. Reviewer's conclusions It is not possible to draw any conclusions from this review. The number of people included in the studies if less than 50 and the reported results are inadequate.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Rodríguez-Martín, J. L., Qizilbash, N., & López-Arrieta, J. M. (2001). Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd001498
Vancouver
Rodríguez-Martín JL, Qizilbash N, López-Arrieta JM. Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2001. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001498. PMID: 11405995.
BibTeX
@article{rodriguezmartin2001-11405995,
author = {Rodríguez-Martín, J. L. and Qizilbash, N. and López-Arrieta, J. M.},
title = {{Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {The Cochrane database of systematic reviews},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1002/14651858.cd001498},
pmid = {11405995},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd001498}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- There have been suggestions that thiamine may have a beneficial effect in Alzheimer's disease.
- Selection criteria All unconfounded, double-blind, randomized trials in which treatment with thiamine was administered for more than a day and compared with placebo in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
- Main results There are three included studies, but few results were reported that could be included.
- The cross-over studies did not report results from the first phase.
- It was not possible to pool any results for a meta-analysis.
Why it matters
This review looked at whether thiamine helps people with Alzheimer's disease but found too few usable results to draw conclusions. It provides no evidence that thiamine treats or prevents the disease.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 54 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 56 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Cochrane database of systematic reviews) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: journal h-index 468 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 67 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.5 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Jess López-Arrieta holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11405995) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 54 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 54 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 56 out of 100. |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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