Effect of Vitamin B12 Injection on the Vocal Performance of Professional Singers: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

However, there is no objective evidence to support or refute these claims.

To assess the presence and magnitude of the effect of empirical vitamin B12 injection on the vocal performance of singers.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, both men and women.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted from November 7, 2017, to November 30, 2018, at an academic voice center among 20 active adult singers without dysphonia but with mild vocal symptoms.

Individuals with known or suspected vitamin B12 deficiency or active or recent vitamin B12 treatment were excluded.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Because people in this Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), giving a reference point.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

Analysis was on a per-protocol basis.

After a washout period of at least 4 weeks, participants were crossed over to receive the opposite injection.

Both the investigators and participants were blinded to the order of injections.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Singing, Vitamin B 12 and Voice Quality.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 9 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2021 (JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) compound page, all human trials.