Proper Name: cyanocobalamin

Common Name: Vitamin B12

Evidence of Efficacy: statement to the effect of Vitamin B12 deficiency or imbalance plays a role in the symptoms of mood disorders. Observational and experimental studies have shown an association between vitamin B12 and anxiety^1,2,3 and bipolar disorder^4,5,6,7,8,9, depression^{10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 ,16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21,2 2,23 ,24 ,25 ,26, 27, 28, 29,3 0,31, 32,3 3,34}, obsessive compulsive disorder³⁵, and schizophrenia^36,37.                    

References:

1. Heseker H, Kubler W, Pudel V, Westenhoffer J. Psychological disorders as early symptoms of a mild-moderate vitamin deficiency. Ann N Y Acad Sci 669:352-7, 1992.

2. Ambrosino SV. Neuropsychiatric aspects of pernicious anemia: report of a case. Psychosomatics 7(1):24-8, 1966

3. Schilling RF, Morris FK. Is vitamin B12 a tonic? Wis Med J 70(5):143-4, 1971.

4. Edwin E et al. Vitamin B12 hypovitaminosis in mental diseases. Acta Med Scand 177:689-99, 1965.

5. Dommisse J. Subtle vitamin-B12 deficiency and psychiatry: a largely unnoticed but devastating relationship? Med Hypotheses 34:131-40, 1991.

6. Goggans FC. A case of mania secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency. Am J Psychiatry 141(2):300-1, 1984.

7. Holmes JM Cerebral manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency. Br Med J 2:1394-8, 1956.

8. Verbanck PMP, LeBon O. Changing psychiatric symptoms in a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency. Letter. J Clin Psychiatry 52(4):182-3, 1991.

9. Jacobs LG, Bloom HG, Behrman FZ. Mania and a gait disorder due to cobalamin deficiency. J Am Geriatr Soc 38(4):473-4, 1990.

10. Reading CM. Latent pernicious anaemia: A preliminary report. Med J Aust 1:91-4, 1975. 11. 11. Verbanck PMP, LeBon O. Changing psychiatric symptoms in a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency. Letter. J Clin Psychiatry 52(4):182-3, 1991.

12. Zucker DK et al. B12 deficiency and psychiatric disorders: Case report and literature review. Biol Psychiatry 16:197-205, 1981.

13. Levitt AJ, Joffe RT. Folate, B12, and thyroid function in depression. Biol Psychiatry 33:52-3, 1993.

14. Heseker H, Kubler W, Pudel V, Westenhoffer J. Psychological disorders as early symptoms of a mild-moderate vitamin deficiency. Ann N Y Acad Sci 669:352-7, 1992.

15. Bell IR et al. Relationship of normal serum vitamin B12 and folate levels to cognitive test performance in subtypes of geriatric major depression. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 3(2):98-105, 1990.

16. Goodman KI, Salt WB; 2^nd Ed. Vitamin B12 deficiency: Important new concepts in recognition. Postgrad Med 88(3):147-50, 153-8, 1990.

17. Levitt AJ, Joffe RT. Folate, B12 and thyroid function in depression. Biol Psychiatry 33(1):52-3, 1993.

18. Bell IR et al. Complex vitamin patterns in geriatric and young adult inpatients with major depression. J Am Geriatr Soc 39(3):252-7, 1991.

19. Bell I et al. Vitamin B12 and folate status in acute geropsychiatric inpatients: Affective and cognitive characteristics of a vitamin nondeficient population. Biol Psychiatry 27(2): 125-37, 1990.

20. Edeh J, Toon BK. A general practice study of the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and social handicap in epilepsy, in M Parsonage et al, Eds. Advances in Epileptology. XV Epilepsy International Symposium. New York, Raven Press, 1983.

21. Carney MW Sheffield BP. Serum folic acid and B12 in 272 psychiatric in-patients. Psychol Med 8:139-44, 1978.

22. Carney MW, Sheffield BF. Associations of subnormal serum folate and vitamin B12 and effects of replacement therapy. J Nerv Ment Dis 150:404-12, 1970.

23. Carney MW. Serum folate in 423 psychiatric patients. Br Med J iii:512-18, 1967.

24. Hallstrom T. Serum B12 and folate concentrations in mental patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 45:19-36, 1969.

25. Edwin E et al. Vitamin B12 hypovitaminosis in mental diseases. Acta Med Scand 177:689-99, 1965.

26. Dommisse J. Subtle vitamin-B12 deficiency and psychiatry: a largely unnoticed but devastating relationship? Med Hypotheses 34:131-40, 1991.

27. Karnaze DS, Carmel R. Neurologic and evoked potential abnormalities in subtle cobalamin deficiency states, including deficiency without anemia and with normal absorption of free cobalamin. Arch Neurol 47(9):1008:12, 1990.

28. Shorvon SD, Carney MWP, Chanarin I, et al. The neuropsychiatry of megaloblastic anaemia. Br Med J 281:1036-43, 1980.

29. Holmes JM Cerebral manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency. Br Med J ii:1394-8, 1956.

30. Gaby AR. The story of vitamin b12: Is vitamin B12 a panacea or placebo? Nutrition & Healing 2(7), July, 1995.

31. Oren DA, Teicher MH, Schwartz PJ, et al. A controlled trial of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) in the treatment of winter seasonal affective disorder. J Affect Disord 32(3):197-200, 1994

32. Newbold HL. Vitamin B-12: placebo or neglected therapeutic tool? Med Hypotheses 28(3):155-64, 1989.

33. Geagea K, Ananth J. Response of a psychiatric patient to vitamin B12 therapy. Dis Nerv Sys 36(1-6):343-4, 1975.

34. Ellis FR, Nasser S. A pilot study of vitamin B12 in the treatment of tiredness. Br J Nutr 30:277-83, 1973.

35. Hermesh H, Weizman A, Shahar A, Munitz H. Vitamin B12 and folic acid serum levels in obsessive compulsive disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 78(1):8-10, 1988.

36. Holmes JM. Cerebral manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency. Br Med J ii:1394-8, 1956.