L-carnosine as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine in treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: A randomized double-blind study.
Hum Psychopharmacol 2017;
32. [PMID:
28485008 DOI:
10.1002/hup.2584]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Dysregulation of glutamate is implicated in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Consistently, glutamate-modulating agents, such as riluzole and memantine have been used in OCD treatment. Previous research has identified some neuroprotective role for L-carnosine potentially via its modulatory effect on glutamate. Here, we assessed the efficacy of L-carnosine as adjuvant to fluvoxamine in OCD treatment.
METHODS
Forty-four patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OCD were recruited in a randomized double-blind trial. Patients received either L-carnosine or placebo as adjuvant to fluvoxamine for 10 weeks. The Yale- Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used for assessing the severity of symptoms at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 10.
RESULTS
General linear model repeated measure showed significant effects for Time × Treatment interaction on total Y-BOCS [F (2.10, 88.42) = 8.66, p < 0.001], obsession [F (1.88, 79.34) = 4.96, p = 0.01] and compulsion [F (1.88, 79.11) = 4.57, p = 0.01]. At week 10, the change from baseline in Y-BOCS scores was 8.86 ± 2.89 (mean ± SD) in the L-carnosine group compared to 5.86 ± 2.88 in the placebo group.
CONCLUSION
L-carnosine results in significant reduction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms when used as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine.
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