Good evidence exists to support the use of N-acetylcysteine as an adjunct treatment to reduce the total and negative symptoms of schizophrenia .
N-acetylcysteine also appears to be effective in reducing craving in substance use disorders , especially for the treatment of cocaine and cannabis use among young people , in addition to preventing relapse in already abstinent individuals .
Oral N-acetylcysteine is safe and well tolerated without any considerable adverse effects .
N-acetylcysteine , a sulphur-containing amino acid for the treatment of paracetamol overdose and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , is a widely available off-the-shelf oral antioxidant supplement in many countries .
With the potential to modulate several neurological pathways , including glutamate dysregulation , oxidative stress , and inflammation that can be beneficial to the brain functions , N-acetylcysteine is being explored as an adjunctive therapy for many psychiatric conditions .
This narrative review synthesis es and presents the current evidence from systematic review s , meta-analyses , and latest clinical trials on N-acetylcysteine for addiction and substance abuse , schizophrenia , obsessive-compulsive and related disorders , and mood disorders .
N-Acetyl Cysteine in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review
Objective Obsessive compulsive and related disorders are a collection of debilitating psychiatric disorders in which the role of glutamate dysfunction in the underpinning neurobiology is becoming well established . N-acetyl cysteine ( NAC ) is a glutamate modulator with promising therapeutic effect . This paper presents a systematic review of clinical trials and case reports exploring the use of NAC for these disorders . A further objective was to detail the methodology of current clinical trials being conducted in the area . Methods PubMed , Web of Science and Cochrane Library Data base were search ed for human clinical trials or case reports investigating NAC in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder ( OCD ) or obsessive compulsive related disorders . Research ers with known involvement in NAC studies were contacted for any unpublished data . Results Four clinical trials and five case reports/series were identified . Study duration s were commonly 12-weeks , using 2,400–3,000 mg/day of NAC . Overall , NAC demonstrates activity in reducing the severity of symptoms , with a good tolerability profile and minimal adverse effects . Currently there are three ongoing r and omized controlled trials using NAC for OCD ( two adults and one pediatric ) , and one for excoriation . Conclusion Encouraging results have been demonstrated from the few pilot studies that have been conducted . These results are detailed , in addition to a discussion of future potential research
Good evidence exists to support the use of N-acetylcysteine as an adjunct treatment to reduce the total and negative symptoms of schizophrenia .
N-acetylcysteine also appears to be effective in reducing craving in substance use disorders , especially for the treatment of cocaine and cannabis use among young people , in addition to preventing relapse in already abstinent individuals .
Oral N-acetylcysteine is safe and well tolerated without any considerable adverse effects .
N-acetylcysteine , a sulphur-containing amino acid for the treatment of paracetamol overdose and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , is a widely available off-the-shelf oral antioxidant supplement in many countries .
With the potential to modulate several neurological pathways , including glutamate dysregulation , oxidative stress , and inflammation that can be beneficial to the brain functions , N-acetylcysteine is being explored as an adjunctive therapy for many psychiatric conditions .
This narrative review synthesis es and presents the current evidence from systematic review s , meta-analyses , and latest clinical trials on N-acetylcysteine for addiction and substance abuse , schizophrenia , obsessive-compulsive and related disorders , and mood disorders .