Neurological disorders and adult coeliac disease

An investigation into the incidence of neurological disorder in 30 patients with adult coeliac disease has shown that three patients had severe depression, two had epileptiform convulsions, and one patient only had signs of involvement of the peripheral nervous system. Motor nerve conduction velocity was low in only one patient. When the nerve conduction velocities of the group on a gluten-free diet were compared with the group who were not on a gluten-free diet, there was no statistically significant difference. Similarly, nerve conduction velocities in patients with a low serum pyridoxal level were not significantly different from those with normal serum pyridoxal levels. Measurements of the serum level of pyridoxal in 30 patients confirmed that pyridoxine deficiency occurs in adult coeliac disease and that the restriction of gluten from the diet appeared to affect pyridoxal levels favourably.