Tier 2 — strong

High-dose glycine impairs the prepulse inhibition measure of sensorimotor gating in humans

O'Neill BV, Croft RJ, Mann C, Dang O, Leung S, Galloway MP, Phan KL, Nathan PJ
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) 2011 25(12):1632-1638

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 20615931
DOI
10.1177/0269881110372546
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed abstract; the full funding disclosure has not been verified.
Competing interests
The accessible abstract does not establish the authors' competing interests; absence of a statement is not evidence of no conflicts.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized controlled human intervention
ModelAdult humans
Sample16 men enrolled; 12 in the final analysis
InterventionSingle oral glycine 0.8 g/kg versus placebo; at least 5-day washout
DurationPrepulse inhibition measured 45 minutes after dosing
EndpointsPrepulse inhibition; Sensorimotor gating

What the study showed, in plain terms

In this experiment, high-dose glycine worsened a laboratory measure of sensory gating. The finding argues against assuming that more glycine always produces better neurological function.

Key findings

  • Prepulse inhibition was lower with glycine than placebo.
  • The analyzed sample comprised twelve healthy men.

What this study can and cannot tell us

A surrogate laboratory finding at a very large acute dose does not establish clinical harm from ordinary bedtime dosing.

Small sample and potential cohort overlap with related reports limit generalization.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction