Vitamin B 12 treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome: A multi‐center double‐blind study

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 275 - 279
• Main Authors: OKAWA, M., TAKAHASHI, K., EGASHIRA, K., FURUTA, H., HIGASHITANI, Y., HIGUCHI, T., ICHIKAWA, H., ICHIMARU, Y., INOUE, Y., ISHIZUKA, Y., ITO, N., KAMEI, K., KANEKO, M., KIM, Y., KOHSAKA, M., KOMORI, T., KOTORII, T., MATSUMOTO, M., MISHIMA, K., MIZUKI, Y., MORIMOTO, K., NAGAYAMA, H., OHTA, T., OKAMOTO, N., SAKAMOTO, K., SHIRAKAWA, S., SUGITA, Y., TAMIYA, S., YAMADA, N., YAMADERA, H., YAMAZAKI, J., TAKAHASHI, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.1997
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1997.tb03198.x

Abstract  The active form of vitamin B 12 (methylcobalamin) has been reported to be effective on sleep‐wake rhythm disorders. Previous studies, however, were performed under open trial, and the effect of vitamin B 12 has not been properly evaluated. The aim of this double‐blind study was to investigate the efficacy of methylcobalamin on delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Methylcobalamin (3 mg/day) or placebo was administered for 4 weeks. The subjects were 50 patients with DSPS aged 13–55 years (26.8 ± 1.3), 27 of whom received the active drug while 23 received the placebo. No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in subjective evaluations of mood or drowsiness during the daytime or in night sleep by sleep‐log evaluation. These results indicate that 3 mg methylcobalamin administered over 4 weeks is not an effective treatment for DSPS.