Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41021585›Full record

Trial reportRevista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)2025

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine as an adjuvant treatment for alcohol use disorder.

Jaqueline B Schuch, Fernanda Hansen, Thiago Hartmann, Daniela Benzano, Henrique M Gomes, José Cláudio F Moreira, Flavio Pechansky, Felix H P Kessler, Fabiana Galland, Daiane Silvello and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

12 authors.

Jaqueline B SchuchCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Fernanda HansenCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Departamento de Nutrição, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Thiago HartmannCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Daniela BenzanoCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Henrique M GomesPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
José Cláudio F MoreiraPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Flavio PechanskyCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Felix H P KesslerCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Fabiana GallandCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Daiane SilvelloCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Anne O SordiCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Lisia von DiemenCentro de Pesquisas em Álcool e Drogas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Funding

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior 001Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa e Eventos/Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre 2015-0488Secretaria Nacional de Políticas Sobre Drogas 08129.011787/2015-95
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWe assessed the effect of N-acetylcysteine, as an adjuvant treatment, on treatment adherence (primary outcome) according to peripheral biomarkers and clinical improvement (secondary outcomes) in patients with alcohol use disorder.

methodsA 9-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 53 (n = 25 N-acetylcysteine, n = 28 placebo) inpatients with alcohol use disorder. Neuropeptide Y, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers, and hepatic parameters were analyzed at 3 time points.

resultsSeventeen (60.7%) patients in the placebo group and 16 (64%) patients in the N-acetylcysteine group completed the trial. Hepatic biomarker levels changed significantly over time (p < 0.001). Oxidized glutathione levels at admission were lower in the N-acetylcysteine group (ppairwise = 0.043). By the end of the study, both groups had similar oxidized glutathione levels (p = 0.868), and oxidized glutathione levels were lower in the placebo group. At the end of the intervention, superoxide dismutase activity had decreased and neuropeptide Y levels had increased in the N-acetylcysteine group. Both groups showed similar mean time to relapse, treatment adherence, and clinical improvement.

conclusionsOur findings reinforce the effects of alcohol on oxidative stress and neuropeptide Y parameters. However, our sample size may limit the generalizability of the results, especially for clinical outcomes. Future randomized clinical trials including patients with less severe alcohol use disorder and longer follow-up may be needed to determine whether N-acetylcysteine could help reduce the mental health burden of this disorder.

Indexed as

AcetylcysteineAlcoholismAdultBiomarkersDouble-Blind MethodFemaleGlutathioneHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropeptide YOxidative StressTreatment OutcomeAcetylcysteineBiomarkersGlutathioneNeuropeptide Yaddictionalcoholclinical trialN-acetylcysteinesubstance use disorder

Identifiers

PMID41021585
PMCPMC12681350

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.