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 .
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of N-Acetylcysteine Augmentation for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( SRI ) augmentation with N-acetylcysteine ( NAC ) , a glutamate modulator and antioxidant medication , for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) . METHODS We conducted a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 16-week trial of NAC ( 3,000 mg daily ) in adults ( aged 18 - 65 years ) with treatment-resistant OCD , established according to DSM-IV criteria . Forty subjects were recruited at an OCD-specialized outpatient clinic at a tertiary hospital ( May 2012-October 2014 ) . The primary outcome measure was the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale ( Y-BOCS ) scores . To evaluate the variables group , time , and interaction effects for Y-BOCS scores at all time points , we used nonparametric analysis of variance with repeated measures . Secondary outcomes were the severity scores for anxiety , depression , specific OCD symptom dimensions , and insight . RESULTS Both groups showed a significant reduction of baseline Y-BOCS scores at week 16 : the NAC group had a reduction of 4.3 points ( 25.6 to 21.3 ) , compared with 3.0 points ( 24.8 to 21.8 ) for the placebo group . However , there were no significant differences between groups ( P = .92 ) . Adding NAC was superior to placebo in reducing anxiety symptoms ( P = .02 ) , but not depression severity or specific OCD symptom dimensions . In general , NAC was well tolerated , despite abdominal pain being more frequently reported in the NAC group ( n [ % ] : NAC = 9 [ 60.0 ] , placebo = 2 [ 13.3 ] ; P < .01 ) . CONCLUSIONS Our trial did not demonstrate a significant benefit of NAC in reducing OCD severity in treatment-resistant OCD adults . Secondary analysis suggested that NAC might have some benefit in reducing anxiety symptoms in treatment-resistant OCD patients . TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov identifier : NCT01555970
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 .