FW: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

[Guest guest]

FYI…for those interested.  See below.  From: Seigel Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:53 AMTo: & CohaneSubject: Fwd: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors Passing on frm jay in case u r interested XoxSent from my iPhoneBegin forwarded message:Date: November 15, 2010 4:28:28 PM ESTTo: Witz Subject: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviorsFrom Reuters Health InformationN-Acetylcysteine Reduces Irritability in Autistic Kids: Phase II StudyNurse Rating: ( 0 Votes ) Rate This Article: Print This Email this Do you think a would be interested in this?By Karla GaleNEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 28 - In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors in a phase II trial.In addition, irritability improved significantly within four weeks of starting treatment, the investigators reported yesterday afternoon at the 57th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in New York City.One reason for using this antioxidant in these kids is that autism is characterized by a lack of anti-oxidant capacity, explained Dr. Lawrence K. Fung, a psychiatry fellow at Stanford University in California and presenter of the study. Also, he said, children with autism have alterations in the glutamate receptor, and NAC has glutamatergic properties.Plus, he added, " there have been some good data " showing a benefit of NAC for treatment of trichotillomania, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.And according to Dr. Hemmo A. Drexhage, an immunologist at Erasmus Medical Center in Amsterdam who wasn't involved with the current study, there's evidence to suggest that autism and other psychiatric disorders are associated with immune system activation that could theoretically respond to NAC.The 12-week, randomized, double-blind trial included 28 children ages 3 to 12 with Clinical Global Impression Severity rating > 4. The 14 kids assigned to NAC started at a dose of 900 mg/day; the dose was doubled (1800 mg/day) at week 4 and tripled (2700 mg/day) at week 8, Dr. Fung told Reuters Health. " Roughly half of the subjects were on a range of medications including stimulants, antidepressants and antipsychotics, " he added.Mean ABC (Aberrant Behavioral Checklist) total scores for the NAC group were 69.7, 24.7, 41.8, and 38.7 at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively, the researcher said. By contrast, ABC scores in the placebo group stayed between 68.4 and 56.3 during the same period (p < 0.05).The irritability subscale of the ABC declined steadily from 16.9 at baseline to 7.3 after 12 weeks of NAC treatment, while hovering between 17.6 and 13.4 with placebo (p < 0.001 at 4 weeks, p < 0.01 at 8 and 12 weeks).Compared with placebo, NAC was also associated with significant improvement from baseline in the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (p < 0.05) and in Social Responsiveness Scale, mannerisms subscale (p < 0.05).No significant differences between groups occurred in the Clinical Global Rating Scale, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, or Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale. " NAC was overall well-tolerated with limited side effects, " the study abstract says, with no suggestion of sedation.The study did not take into account behavioral interventions and other medications the children were taking.Dr. King, a spokesman for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, commented that while this was a small study, " the signal observed (for irritability) absolutely is something we should pursue. " Dr. King, who's also the director of the Autism Center at Seattle Children's Hospital and professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, added that the " side effect profile of NAC is very kind. " " I think there will be a lot of interest in pursuing this lead, " he said.Dr. Pria Persaud, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, however, told Reuters Health that the study was " interesting, " but not enough to convince her to use NAC for her autistic patients. " Autistic kids are very sensitive to medications, and I wonder if other drugs they were on could have accounted for the improvements, " she said.

[Guest guest]

NAC has been administered for years in the biomedical realm.

It is most often administered along with glutathione and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Many kids, including my son, receive(ed) it intravenously. We chose this method over chelation because of all the scary hype stories about chelation, which aren’t even accurate but we were still too scared....just like they wanted us to be.

sorry...my sarcasm slips out every now and then....

From: Cohane

Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:12 PM

To: sList

Subject: FW: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

FYI…for those interested. See below.

From: Seigel Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:53 AMTo: & CohaneSubject: Fwd: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

Passing on frm jay in case u r interested

XoxSent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

Date: November 15, 2010 4:28:28 PM ESTTo: Witz Subject: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

From Reuters Health Information

N-Acetylcysteine Reduces Irritability in Autistic Kids: Phase II Study

Nurse Rating:

( 0 Votes )

Rate This Article:

Print This

Email this

Do you think a would be interested in this?

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 28 - In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors in a phase II trial.

In addition, irritability improved significantly within four weeks of starting treatment, the investigators reported yesterday afternoon at the 57th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in New York City.

One reason for using this antioxidant in these kids is that autism is characterized by a lack of anti-oxidant capacity, explained Dr. Lawrence K. Fung, a psychiatry fellow at Stanford University in California and presenter of the study. Also, he said, children with autism have alterations in the glutamate receptor, and NAC has glutamatergic properties.

Plus, he added, "there have been some good data" showing a benefit of NAC for treatment of trichotillomania, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

And according to Dr. Hemmo A. Drexhage, an immunologist at Erasmus Medical Center in Amsterdam who wasn't involved with the current study, there's evidence to suggest that autism and other psychiatric disorders are associated with immune system activation that could theoretically respond to NAC.

The 12-week, randomized, double-blind trial included 28 children ages 3 to 12 with Clinical Global Impression Severity rating > 4. The 14 kids assigned to NAC started at a dose of 900 mg/day; the dose was doubled (1800 mg/day) at week 4 and tripled (2700 mg/day) at week 8, Dr. Fung told Reuters Health.

"Roughly half of the subjects were on a range of medications including stimulants, antidepressants and antipsychotics," he added.

Mean ABC (Aberrant Behavioral Checklist) total scores for the NAC group were 69.7, 24.7, 41.8, and 38.7 at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively, the researcher said. By contrast, ABC scores in the placebo group stayed between 68.4 and 56.3 during the same period (p < 0.05).

The irritability subscale of the ABC declined steadily from 16.9 at baseline to 7.3 after 12 weeks of NAC treatment, while hovering between 17.6 and 13.4 with placebo (p < 0.001 at 4 weeks, p < 0.01 at 8 and 12 weeks).

Compared with placebo, NAC was also associated with significant improvement from baseline in the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (p < 0.05) and in Social Responsiveness Scale, mannerisms subscale (p < 0.05).

No significant differences between groups occurred in the Clinical Global Rating Scale, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, or Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale.

"NAC was overall well-tolerated with limited side effects," the study abstract says, with no suggestion of sedation.

The study did not take into account behavioral interventions and other medications the children were taking.

Dr. King, a spokesman for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, commented that while this was a small study, "the signal observed (for irritability) absolutely is something we should pursue."

Dr. King, who's also the director of the Autism Center at Seattle Children's Hospital and professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, added that the "side effect profile of NAC is very kind."

"I think there will be a lot of interest in pursuing this lead," he said.

Dr. Pria Persaud, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, however, told Reuters Health that the study was "interesting," but not enough to convince her to use NAC for her autistic patients. "Autistic kids are very sensitive to medications, and I wonder if other drugs they were on could have accounted for the improvements," she said.

[Guest guest]

I take it myself. You have to have buffered vitamin C also for protection. This helps clean the liver of toxins.

To: sList Sent: Wed, November 17, 2010 5:42:25 AMSubject: Re: FW: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

NAC has been administered for years in the biomedical realm.

It is most often administered along with glutathione and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Many kids, including my son, receive(ed) it intravenously. We chose this method over chelation because of all the scary hype stories about chelation, which aren’t even accurate but we were still too scared....just like they wanted us to be.

sorry...my sarcasm slips out every now and then....

From: Cohane

Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:12 PM

To: sList

Subject: FW: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

FYI…for those interested. See below.

From: Seigel Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:53 AMTo: & CohaneSubject: Fwd: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

Passing on frm jay in case u r interested

XoxSent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

Date: November 15, 2010 4:28:28 PM ESTTo: Witz Subject: In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

From Reuters Health Information

N-Acetylcysteine Reduces Irritability in Autistic Kids: Phase II Study

Nurse Rating:

( 0 Votes )

Rate This Article:

Print This Email this

Do you think a would be interested in this?

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 28 - In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors in a phase II trial.

In addition, irritability improved significantly within four weeks of starting treatment, the investigators reported yesterday afternoon at the 57th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in New York City.

One reason for using this antioxidant in these kids is that autism is characterized by a lack of anti-oxidant capacity, explained Dr. Lawrence K. Fung, a psychiatry fellow at Stanford University in California and presenter of the study. Also, he said, children with autism have alterations in the glutamate receptor, and NAC has glutamatergic properties.

Plus, he added, "there have been some good data" showing a benefit of NAC for treatment of trichotillomania, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

And according to Dr. Hemmo A. Drexhage, an immunologist at Erasmus Medical Center in Amsterdam who wasn't involved with the current study, there's evidence to suggest that autism and other psychiatric disorders are associated with immune system activation that could theoretically respond to NAC.

The 12-week, randomized, double-blind trial included 28 children ages 3 to 12 with Clinical Global Impression Severity rating > 4. The 14 kids assigned to NAC started at a dose of 900 mg/day; the dose was doubled (1800 mg/day) at week 4 and tripled (2700 mg/day) at week 8, Dr. Fung told Reuters Health.

"Roughly half of the subjects were on a range of medications including stimulants, antidepressants and antipsychotics," he added.

Mean ABC (Aberrant Behavioral Checklist) total scores for the NAC group were 69.7, 24.7, 41.8, and 38.7 at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively, the researcher said. By contrast, ABC scores in the placebo group stayed between 68.4 and 56.3 during the same period (p < 0.05).

The irritability subscale of the ABC declined steadily from 16.9 at baseline to 7.3 after 12 weeks of NAC treatment, while hovering between 17.6 and 13.4 with placebo (p < 0.001 at 4 weeks, p < 0.01 at 8 and 12 weeks).

Compared with placebo, NAC was also associated with significant improvement from baseline in the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (p < 0.05) and in Social Responsiveness Scale, mannerisms subscale (p < 0.05).

No significant differences between groups occurred in the Clinical Global Rating Scale, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, or Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale.

"NAC was overall well-tolerated with limited side effects," the study abstract says, with no suggestion of sedation.

The study did not take into account behavioral interventions and other medications the children were taking.

Dr. King, a spokesman for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, commented that while this was a small study, "the signal observed (for irritability) absolutely is something we should pursue."

Dr. King, who's also the director of the Autism Center at Seattle Children's Hospital and professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, added that the "side effect profile of NAC is very kind."

"I think there will be a lot of interest in pursuing this lead," he said.

Dr. Pria Persaud, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, however, told Reuters Health that the study was "interesting," but not enough to convince her to use NAC for her autistic patients. "Autistic kids are very sensitive to medications, and I wonder if other drugs they were on could have accounted for the improvements," she said.

[Guest guest]

My son gets NAC along with gloutathione and vit. c intravenously right before he gets CaEDTA chelation. I have noticed that the day of and the day after chelation he feels like a million bucks. We have tried all of the chelation methods from oral to suppositiories to IV, and the IV is by far the most effective and has the least amount of side effects. The oral chelators are no good because they contain sulfur and the sulfur is absorbed in the stomach which caused MAJOR bacterial issues as sulfur feeds yeast and bacteria in the gut. The suppositories worked well because they do not pass through the gut so they do their job without causing yeast and bacteria overgrowth, but the older my son gets the more likely he is to remember me putting something in his area where the sun doesn't shine and I am afraid we will end up on DR. Phil someday as he has flashbacks of this ordeal. Anywho, the IV method of chelation pulls twice as much metals out as the other methods and other than a quick prick with a needle, won't have lingering issues attached to it.

In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors

From Reuters Health Information

N-Acetylcysteine Reduces Irritability in Autistic Kids: Phase II Study

Nurse Rating:

( 0 Votes )

Rate This Article:

Print This Email this

Do you think a would be interested in this?

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 28 - In children with autism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved repetitive behaviors in a phase II trial.

In addition, irritability improved significantly within four weeks of starting treatment, the investigators reported yesterday afternoon at the 57th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in New York City.

One reason for using this antioxidant in these kids is that autism is characterized by a lack of anti-oxidant capacity, explained Dr. Lawrence K. Fung, a psychiatry fellow at Stanford University in California and presenter of the study. Also, he said, children with autism have alterations in the glutamate receptor, and NAC has glutamatergic properties.

Plus, he added, "there have been some good data" showing a benefit of NAC for treatment of trichotillomania, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

And according to Dr. Hemmo A. Drexhage, an immunologist at Erasmus Medical Center in Amsterdam who wasn't involved with the current study, there's evidence to suggest that autism and other psychiatric disorders are associated with immune system activation that could theoretically respond to NAC.

The 12-week, randomized, double-blind trial included 28 children ages 3 to 12 with Clinical Global Impression Severity rating > 4. The 14 kids assigned to NAC started at a dose of 900 mg/day; the dose was doubled (1800 mg/day) at week 4 and tripled (2700 mg/day) at week 8, Dr. Fung told Reuters Health.

"Roughly half of the subjects were on a range of medications including stimulants, antidepressants and antipsychotics," he added.

Mean ABC (Aberrant Behavioral Checklist) total scores for the NAC group were 69.7, 24.7, 41.8, and 38.7 at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively, the researcher said. By contrast, ABC scores in the placebo group stayed between 68.4 and 56.3 during the same period (p < 0.05).

The irritability subscale of the ABC declined steadily from 16.9 at baseline to 7.3 after 12 weeks of NAC treatment, while hovering between 17.6 and 13.4 with placebo (p < 0.001 at 4 weeks, p < 0.01 at 8 and 12 weeks).

Compared with placebo, NAC was also associated with significant improvement from baseline in the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (p < 0.05) and in Social Responsiveness Scale, mannerisms subscale (p < 0.05).

No significant differences between groups occurred in the Clinical Global Rating Scale, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, or Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale.

"NAC was overall well-tolerated with limited side effects," the study abstract says, with no suggestion of sedation.

The study did not take into account behavioral interventions and other medications the children were taking.

Dr. King, a spokesman for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, commented that while this was a small study, "the signal observed (for irritability) absolutely is something we should pursue."

Dr. King, who's also the director of the Autism Center at Seattle Children's Hospital and professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, added that the "side effect profile of NAC is very kind."

"I think there will be a lot of interest in pursuing this lead," he said.

Dr. Pria Persaud, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, however, told Reuters Health that the study was "interesting," but not enough to convince her to use NAC for her autistic patients. "Autistic kids are very sensitive to medications, and I wonder if other drugs they were on could have accounted for the improvements," she said.