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Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Cognitive Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

Clinical studies examining the effects of vitamin D on cognition have reported inconsistent results. To date, no comprehensive study has examined this effect on the basis of sample characteristics or intervention model–related factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on global cognitive function and specific cognitive domains. This review was preregistered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021249908) and comprised 24 trials enrolling 7557 participants (mean age: 65.21 years; 78.54% women). The meta-analysis revealed that vitamin D significantly influenced global cognition (Hedges’ g = 0.128, p = .008) but not specific cognitive domains. A subgroup analysis indicated that the effect size of vitamin D was stronger for vulnerable populations (Hedges’ g = 0.414) and those with baseline vitamin D deficiency (Hedges’ g = 0.480). On the basis of subgroup analyses in studies without biological flaws (Hedges’ g = 0.549), we suggest that an intervention model should correct baseline vitamin D deficiency. Our results indicate that vitamin D supplementation has a small but significant positive effect on cognition in adults.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank several authors who released data in a format that enabled their inclusion in the meta-analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST-110-2314-B-532-007). The funders played no role in the study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; writing the manuscript; or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Author notes

  1. Wen-Yin Chen and Ying-Chih Cheng have equal first-authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Wen-Yin Chen, Chih-Chiang Chiu, Hsing-Cheng Liu & Ming-Chyi Huang

  2. Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Wen-Yin Chen, Ying-Chih Cheng, Yu-Kang Tu & Po-Hsiu Kuo

  3. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chih-Chiang Chiu, Hsing-Cheng Liu & Ming-Chyi Huang

  4. Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, China Medical University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Ying-Chih Cheng

  5. Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yu-Kang Tu & Po-Hsiu Kuo

  6. Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Po-Hsiu Kuo

  7. College of Public Health, Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Po-Hsiu Kuo

  8. Research Center of Big Data and Meta-analysis, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ying-Chih Cheng

  9. School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Wen-Yin Chen

Authors
  1. Wen-Yin Chen
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  2. Ying-Chih Cheng
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  3. Chih-Chiang Chiu
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  4. Hsing-Cheng Liu
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  5. Ming-Chyi Huang
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  6. Yu-Kang Tu
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Contributions

WYC and HCL designed the study and wrote the protocol. WYC, YCC, MCH, and CCC managed the literature searches and analyses. WYC and YCC wrote the first draft of the manuscript. YKT and PHK revised and supervised the final manuscript. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yu-Kang Tu or Po-Hsiu Kuo.

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Chen, WY., Cheng, YC., Chiu, CC. et al. Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Cognitive Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 34, 568–580 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-023-09598-z

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