However , mechanistic studies found significant improvements in hippocampal neuronal health and brain glutathione .
CONCLUSION There is preliminary evidence that taurine improves outcomes in FEP , whereas effects of omega-3 and antioxidant vitamins/amino-acids are inconsistent ; perhaps mainly benefitting patients with high levels of oxidative stress .
AIM The effects of nutrient-based treatments , including adjunctive vitamin or antioxidant supplementation , have been explored extensively in long-term schizophrenia .
However , no systematic evaluation of trials in " first-episode psychosis " ( FEP ) has been conducted , despite the potential benefits of using these treatments during the early stages of illness .
Therefore , we aim ed to review all studies examining efficacy , tolerability and the biological mechanisms of action , of nutrient supplementation in FEP .
N-Acetylcysteine as an Adjunct to Risperidone for Treatment of Negative Symptoms in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Objectives Despite the burden of negative symptoms on quality of life in schizophrenic patients , no completely effective treatment has been developed to address such symptoms yet . Abnormalities in oxidative stress pathways have been recently demonstrated to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia , and a growing interest in antioxidant agents is emerging for targeting negative symptoms of schizophrenia . N-Acetylcysteine ( NAC ) is a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective properties . This study aim ed to evaluate the possible effects of NAC as an adjunct to risperidone in treating negative symptoms of schizophrenia . Material s and Methods In this r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , parallel-group study , 42 patients with chronic schizophrenia and a score of 20 or greater on the negative subscale of positive and negative syndrome scale ( PANSS ) were enrolled in the active phase of their illness . The participants were equally r and omized to receive NAC ( up to 2 g/d ) or placebo , in addition to risperidone ( up to 6 mg/d ) for 8 weeks . The participants were rated using PANSS every 2 weeks , and the decrease of PANSS negative subscale score was considered as our primary outcome . Results By the study end point , NAC-treated patients showed significantly greater improvement in the PANSS total ( P = 0.006 ) and negative subscale ( P < 0.001 ) scores than that in the placebo group , but this difference was not significant for positive and general psychopathology subscales . There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the frequency of adverse effects .  Conclusions NAC add-on therapy showed to be a safe and effective augmentative strategy for alleviating negative symptoms of schizophrenia
However , mechanistic studies found significant improvements in hippocampal neuronal health and brain glutathione .
CONCLUSION There is preliminary evidence that taurine improves outcomes in FEP , whereas effects of omega-3 and antioxidant vitamins/amino-acids are inconsistent ; perhaps mainly benefitting patients with high levels of oxidative stress .
AIM The effects of nutrient-based treatments , including adjunctive vitamin or antioxidant supplementation , have been explored extensively in long-term schizophrenia .
However , no systematic evaluation of trials in " first-episode psychosis " ( FEP ) has been conducted , despite the potential benefits of using these treatments during the early stages of illness .
Therefore , we aim ed to review all studies examining efficacy , tolerability and the biological mechanisms of action , of nutrient supplementation in FEP .