[Folate and the nervous system (author's transl)].

The responsibility of the folate deficiency in some neuropsychiatric disorders is recent knowledge. The role of the folate on the nervous system is not yet well definite, but the action on the metabolism of the amino-acids, on the purine and the pyrimidine synthesis and on the metabolism of the catecholamins are certainly essential. The neuropsychiatric diseases secondary to the folate deficiency are numerous: dementia, schizophrenia like syndromes, insomnia, irritability, forgetfulness, endogenous depression, organic psychosis, pueperal psychosis, peripheral neuropathy, myelopathy (spinal cord syndrome and/or pyramidal tract damage), restless legs syndrome. Clinically the diagnosis may be difficult with sub acute combined degenration secondary to the pernicious anaemia, and the dosage of the folate (in serum, in red-cells and in cerebrospinal fluid) is necessary. The congenital defects in the uptake or utilization of the folate are associated with neuropsychiatric disturbances. The treatment is easy and safe if the vitamin B12 deficiency is eliminated and if employed with caution in epileptic patients because folate can induced seizures.