A preliminary investigation on the efficacy of N-acetyl cysteine for mania or hypomania

<b>Objective:</b> Oxidative imbalance has emerged as a treatment target in bipolar disorder. As very limited data are available on the clinical use of antioxidants for mania, we report here results from a post hoc and exploratory subgroup analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). <br /><br /><b>Methods:</b> This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial assessing the effect of NAC over 24 weeks in mania or hypomania. Symptomatic and functional outcomes were collected over the study period. <br /><b><br />Results:</b> Fifteen participants were available for this report; two participants in each group failed to complete all assessments. Within-group analyses pointed to an improvement in the NAC group on manic symptoms and worsening in the placebo group on depressive symptoms at endpoint. <br /><b><br />Conclusions: </b>Although the sample size was small, these results indicated within-group efficacy for this glutathione precursor as compared to placebo. Future trials specifically designed to demonstrate the efficacy of NAC in mania are needed.