ReviewCureus2024
Assessment of Vitamin B12 Efficacy on Cognitive Memory Function and Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Fish consumption and cognitive function in aging: a systematic review of observational studies.GeroScience · 2026Pooled it
- The Double-Deficient Older Inpatient: Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 Co-Deficiency Identifies the Greatest Cognitive and Affective Burden.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Nutritional biomarkers and three-month symptom changes in antidepressant-free adolescents with major depressive disorder: a retrospective cohort study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Exploring the risk of depression and suicide/self-injury in patients receiving GLP-1RAs combined with metformin versus GLP-1RA monotherapy: a real-word analysis of the FAERS database.Endocrine connections · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Vitamin B12 is significant for DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and nervous system function. Inadequate vitamin B12 levels may result in a higher risk of depression, necessitating the need for supplementation to improve mood and cognitive function. However, the use of vitamin B12 supplementation varies across studies. This review aims to evaluate the effect of vitamin B12 supplementation on cognitive memory function and depressive symptoms among participants who may have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This review adhered to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, CENTRAL, Medline, and Ovid, with no constraints on geography or demographics, up to August 31, 2024. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Data on study characteristics, treatment details, and outcomes were extracted. The risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane ROB2 tool. A meta-analysis of the effect of vitamin B12 on cognitive memory and depression was conducted using Jamovi software (The jamovi project (2024). jamovi (Version 2.5) [Computer Software]. Retrieved from https://www.jamovi.org). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The results yielded 483 records that were screened based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Excluding duplicates and irrelevant studies, the meta-analysis finally included nine RCTs. For cognitive memory function, eight of the nine included studies were analyzed, showing an average standardized mean difference of -0.03 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.07 to 0.01), indicating no significant effect of vitamin B12 supplementation (p = 0.1801) and no significant heterogeneity. Regarding depressive symptoms, three of the nine included studies were analyzed, yielding an average standardized mean difference of -0.01 (95% CI: -0.0773 to 0.0525), also showing no significant effect (p = 0.708). These results suggest that vitamin B12 complex supplementation has an insignificant effect on cognitive function and depressive symptoms in the general population. However, further research is needed to explore the conditions under which B12 is most effective, providing clearer guidelines for its use in clinical practice.
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