Schizophrenia, Related Troubles and Glutathione: Clinical Trial. Effects of Oral Administration of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) on the Brain Glutathione Level and on the Symptoms of Schizophrenia

NCT ID: NCT01506765

Last Updated: 2012-01-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 13 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2003-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2006-09-30

Brief Summary

The results of the study "schizophrenia, related disorders and glutathione" conducted at the Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience (LUNEP) DUPA of Lausanne, reinforce the hypothesis proposed that a deficit intracerebral glutathione is a vulnerability factor for Schizophrenia at least for a subgroup of patients. While pursuing the baseline study, it is appropriate now to try to restore a higher level of glutathione in patients to see if this increase is accompanied by an improvement in symptoms, particularly negative symptoms and disorders cognitive, particularly resistant to current therapy. N-acetyl-cystein (NAC) is a precursor of glutathione which is used clinically for various indications, well tolerated even at high doses. The investigators propose a double-blind cross-over with the aim to study if the N-acetyl-cystein (at a dose of oral 2g/day) leads on the one hand a rising glutathione brain (measured in resonance magnetic spectroscopic) and also improved patients' conditions (determined by clinical assessments, psychopathological, neuropsychological, biochemical and physiological), while recording any side effects. As a first step, this study should include at least thirty patients and last for two to three years. It is important to note that this is not a study of medication suggested by a pharmaceutical industry, but a medical search.

Detailed Description

The results of the study "schizophrenia, related disorders and glutathione" conducted at the Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience (LUNEP) DUPA of Lausanne, reinforce the hypothesis proposed that a deficit intracerebral glutathione is a vulnerability factor for Schizophrenia at least for a subgroup of patients. While pursuing the baseline study, it is appropriate now to try to restore a higher level of glutathione in patients to see if this increase is accompanied by an improvement in symptoms, particularly negative symptoms and disorders cognitive, particularly resistant to current therapy. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is a precursor of glutathione which is used clinically for various indications, well tolerated even at high doses. The investigators propose a double-blind cross-over with the aim to study if the N-acetyl-cystein (at a dose of oral 2g/day) leads on the one hand a rising glutathione brain (measured in resonance magnetic spectroscopic) and also improved patients' conditions (determined by clinical assessments, psychopathological, neuropsychological, biochemical and physiological), while recording any side effects. As a first step, this study should include at least thirty patients and last for two to three years. It is important to note that this is not a study of medication suggested by a pharmaceutical industry, but a medical search.

Conditions

Schizophrenia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

patients who receive NAC first

this group will receive 2g/day of NAC (2 caps of 0.5g twice day)for a duration of 8 weeks first, and after this 8 weeks their receive placebo for 8 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)

Intervention Type: DRUG

Once included, the patients will be randomly placed in two groups: one group (1) will receive 2 g/day of NAC (2caps of 0.5g twice a day) and the other group (2) a placebo, for a duration of 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks, group (2) will receive NAC and (1) the placebo for another 8 weeks

patients who receive placebo first

this patients will receive first placebo for a duration of 8 weeks, and after this 8 weeks their receive NAC for 8 weeks

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)

Intervention Type: DRUG

Once included, the patients will be randomly placed in two groups: one group (1) will receive 2 g/day of NAC (2caps of 0.5g twice a day) and the other group (2) a placebo, for a duration of 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks, group (2) will receive NAC and (1) the placebo for another 8 weeks

Interventions

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)

Once included, the patients will be randomly placed in two groups: one group (1) will receive 2 g/day of NAC (2caps of 0.5g twice a day) and the other group (2) a placebo, for a duration of 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks, group (2) will receive NAC and (1) the placebo for another 8 weeks

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• patients (male or female, aged 18 to 65 years, QI>70) meeting the DSM-IV criteria (established by a senior psychiatrist) for schizophrenia and have the capacity to consent to the study. The study population include both inpatients and outpatients who are currently taking at least one of the following:Olanzapine, Clozapine, Haloperidol, Risperidone, Flupenthixol, or Fluphenazine. The following guidelines have been established for potential medication changes that patients may undergo during the course of the trial.
• dose changes to existing medication (either increases or decreases in dose) will be accepted and participants will be allowed to continue with the trial.
• A change in primary antipsychotics from one medication to another will require participants to withdrawn from the study.
• An addiction of another antipsychotic, secondary to the existing antipsychotic treatment (primary antipsychotic) will be acceptable providing that there isn't a complete change from one antipsychotic to another.

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnancy
• acute psychotic state, preventing the patient cooperation
• co-morbidity with drug dependency
• organic cerebral disease, major somatic diseases
• abnormal renal, hepatic, thyroid or hematological findings
• treatment with a regulator of mood(lithium, valproate, topiramate, lamotrigine et carbamazepine)
• allergy to NAC
• treatment with antioxidants

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Dresse Kim Q. Do

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Kim Do, Professor

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

CNP/ LUNEP

References

Do KQ, Trabesinger AH, Kirsten-Kruger M, Lauer CJ, Dydak U, Hell D, Holsboer F, Boesiger P, Cuenod M. Schizophrenia: glutathione deficit in cerebrospinal fluid and prefrontal cortex in vivo. Eur J Neurosci. 2000 Oct;12(10):3721-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00229.x.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 11029642 (View on PubMed)

Mathalon DH, Ford JM, Pfefferbaum A. Trait and state aspects of P300 amplitude reduction in schizophrenia: a retrospective longitudinal study. Biol Psychiatry. 2000 Mar 1;47(5):434-49. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00277-2.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 10704955 (View on PubMed)

Terpstra M, Henry PG, Gruetter R. Measurement of reduced glutathione (GSH) in human brain using LCModel analysis of difference-edited spectra. Magn Reson Med. 2003 Jul;50(1):19-23. doi: 10.1002/mrm.10499.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 12815674 (View on PubMed)

Trabesinger AH, Weber OM, Duc CO, Boesiger P. Detection of glutathione in the human brain in vivo by means of double quantum coherence filtering. Magn Reson Med. 1999 Aug;42(2):283-9. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1522-2594(199908)42:23.0.co;2-q.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 10440953 (View on PubMed)

Carmeli C, Knyazeva MG, Cuenod M, Do KQ. Glutathione precursor N-acetyl-cysteine modulates EEG synchronization in schizophrenia patients: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e29341. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029341. Epub 2012 Feb 22.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 22383949 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

106/03 CE

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id