Choudhary N, Zahid M, Ahmad M, Shaukat M, Tariq M, Rajeshwara S, Usman S, Wajid T, Awosika A. Neurobiological mechanisms linking vitamin d signaling to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: Untangling epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evidence. World J Exp Med 2026; 16(1): 118761 [DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v16.i1.118761]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ayoola Awosika, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, 1 Illini Drive, Bloomington, IL 61601, United States. ayoolaawosika@yahoo.com
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Medicine, General & Internal
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Mar 20, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 20, 2026
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World Journal of Experimental Medicine
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2220-315x
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Choudhary N, Zahid M, Ahmad M, Shaukat M, Tariq M, Rajeshwara S, Usman S, Wajid T, Awosika A. Neurobiological mechanisms linking vitamin d signaling to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: Untangling epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evidence. World J Exp Med 2026; 16(1): 118761 [DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v16.i1.118761]
World J Exp Med. Mar 20, 2026; 16(1): 118761 Published online Mar 20, 2026. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v16.i1.118761
Neurobiological mechanisms linking vitamin d signaling to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: Untangling epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evidence
Neha Choudhary, Maheen Zahid, Muhammad Ahmad, Muneeba Shaukat, Muhammad Tariq, Soura Rajeshwara, Shermeen Usman, Taimoor Wajid, Ayoola Awosika
Neha Choudhary, Maheen Zahid, Muhammad Ahmad, Muneeba Shaukat, Shermeen Usman, Taimoor Wajid, Department of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
Muhammad Tariq, Department of Medicine, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar 54000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Soura Rajeshwara, Department of Medicine, Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka 577201, India
Ayoola Awosika, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, Bloomington, IL 61601, United States
Author contributions: Choudhary N was involved in conceptualization, data analysis, data acquisition, design of the work, and writing the first draft; Zahid M contributed to conceptualization, study design, article screening; Ahmad M contributed to literature review, data extraction, and discussion development; Shaukat M contributed to article screening, reference management, and figure preparation; Tariq M contributed to conceptualization, writing and reviewing the introduction and discussion sections; Rajeshwara S contributed to article screening, formal analysis, writing first draft; Usman S contributed to quality assessment, original draft, review and editing the manuscript; Wajid T contributed to literature review, data extraction, and discussion development; Awosika A was involved in supervision, conceptualization, data acquisition, writing first and review final draft.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest to declare.
Corresponding author: Ayoola Awosika, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, 1 Illini Drive, Bloomington, IL 61601, United States. ayoolaawosika@yahoo.com
Received: January 12, 2026 Revised: January 24, 2026 Accepted: February 11, 2026 Published online: March 20, 2026 Processing time: 64 Days and 16.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Vitamin D deficiency has been consistently linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, with mechanistic studies providing biologically plausible pathways through its effects on amyloid and tau regulation, neuroinflammation, cerebrovascular health, and mitochondrial function. These converging data make vitamin D an attractive target for dementia prevention. However, the causality remains unproven. Randomized controlled trials have produced largely inconclusive findings, often limited by small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, or cognitive outcomes assessed only as secondary endpoints. As a result, the current evidence does not justify routine vitamin D supplementation as a therapeutic strategy for dementia prevention or management. However, if a causal role is ultimately confirmed, the public health implications would be substantial, given both the global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the rising incidence of dementia.
