Tier 1 — highest

A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of a fixed dose of N-acetyl cysteine in children with autistic disorder

Olivia M Dean, Kylie M Gray, Kristi-Ann Villagonzalo, Seetal Dodd, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Tanya Vick, Bruce J Tonge, Michael Berk
Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017 51(3):241-249

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 27316706
DOI
10.1177/0004867416652735
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman
Sample102 randomized; 98 in the intention-to-treat baseline sample
InterventionOral NAC 500 mg/day versus placebo, adjunctive to treatment as usual
Duration6 months
EndpointsSocial Responsiveness Scale; Communication; Repetitive behavior; Adaptive behavior; Autism symptom measures; Safety

What the study showed, in plain terms

Six-month randomized pediatric autism trial using a fixed low NAC dose.

Key findings

The study found no significant benefit of NAC versus placebo on primary or secondary autism outcomes.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The fixed 500 mg/day dose was lower than many earlier pilot regimens, which may limit comparisons; nevertheless the negative result is important counterevidence.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology