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The safety and efficacy of N-acetylcysteine as an augmentation in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Shayan Eghdami, Negin Eissazade, Mohsen Heidari Mokarar, Mahsa Boroon, Laura Orsolini, Mohammadreza Shalbafan
Front Psychiatry 2024 15:1421150

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 39376972
PubMed Central
PMC11456833
DOI
10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1421150
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

DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
ModelHuman
Sample6 randomized controlled trials; 195 participants
InterventionAdjunctive NAC versus placebo/control in OCD
DurationVaried; included trials commonly 5-20 weeks
EndpointsY-BOCS symptoms; Response; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

Recent pooled analysis of adjunctive NAC for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Key findings

The analysis suggested a possible symptom benefit during selected treatment windows, but the evidence was not consistently robust across durations and analyses.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small total sample, heterogeneous dosing and trial quality; pooled signal should be interpreted alongside the negative Phase III trial.

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