Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30141055›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2018

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on brain glutamate levels and resting perfusion in schizophrenia.

Grant McQueen, John Lally, Tracy Collier, Fernando Zelaya, David J Lythgoe, Gareth J Barker, James M Stone, Philip McGuire, James H MacCabe, Alice Egerton

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Glutamatergic Modulation of Brain Function in Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2025
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  17. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
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  19. The potential ofPsychopharmacology · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Grant McQueenDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK. grant.mcqueen@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8259-5439
John LallyDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Tracy CollierDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Fernando ZelayaDepartment of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroimaging, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
David J LythgoeDepartment of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroimaging, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Gareth J BarkerDepartment of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroimaging, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
James M StoneDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Philip McGuireDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
James H MacCabeDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Alice EgertonDepartment of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
King's College London · GBWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · GBRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland · IE

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/L003988/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleN-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is currently under investigation as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia. The therapeutic potential of NAC may involve modulation of brain glutamate function, but its effects on brain glutamate levels in schizophrenia have not been evaluated.

objectivesThe aim of this study was to examine whether a single dose of NAC can alter brain glutamate levels. A secondary aim was to characterise its effects on regional brain perfusion.

methodsIn a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, 19 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia underwent two MRI scans, following oral administration of 2400 mg NAC or matching placebo. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the effect of NAC on glutamate and Glx (glutamate plus glutamine) levels scaled to creatine (Cr) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and in the right caudate nucleus. Pulsed continuous arterial spin labelling was used to assess the effects of NAC on resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the same regions.

resultsRelative to the placebo condition, the NAC condition was associated with lower levels of Glx/Cr, in the ACC (P < 0.05), but not in the caudate nucleus. There were no significant differences in CBF in the NAC compared to placebo condition.

conclusionsThese data provide preliminary evidence that NAC can modulate ACC glutamate in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, physiological effects of NAC on the brain were not detectable as between session changes in rCBF. Future studies assessing the effects of a course of treatment with NAC on glutamate metabolites in schizophrenia are indicated.

Indexed as

AcetylcysteineAdultBrainCaudate NucleusCerebrovascular CirculationCreatineCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleGlutamic AcidGyrus CinguliHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedProton Magnetic Resonance SpectroscopyAcetylcysteineCreatineGlutamic AcidAnterior cingulate cortexArterial spin labellingGlutamateMagnetic resonance spectroscopyN-AcetylcysteineSchizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID30141055
PMCPMC6182588
OpenAlexW2888654824

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.