The Connection Between Celiac Disease and Nervous System and Mental Disorders

Celiac disease (CD) is a complex autoimmune enteropathy that affects the small bowel after gluten ingestion in genetically predisposed patients. It is well known that CD may be associated with various neurological manifestations. Celiac disease in adolescents is associated with an increased risk of mental and neurological disorders, especially when there was no diagnosis and treatment of CD in childhood. In most cases these disorders precede the diagnosis of CD and in many cases the symptoms appear to improve after starting a gluten-free diet. Although clinical findings appear to be consistent with a connection between these diseases, the mechanisms involved are unclear and need to be studied further (Adv Clin Exp Med 2008, 17, 5, 495-502).