People with coeliac disease have white-matter changes, cognitive deficits and worse mental health compared with healthy controls, according to a study.

The findings may help doctors provide more targeted care and give patients additional motivation to follow a gluten-free diet, says lead author Dr Iain Croall of the University of Sheffield, in the UK.

Several studies have found indications of brain injury, cognitive deficit and worse mental health in people with coeliac disease, Dr Croall and colleagues note in Gastroenterology.

But estimates of neurological-symptom prevalence in coeliac disease have had “strikingly different” results, they add, ranging from 0% to 50%.