http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/7/1115
OBJECTIVE: Animal models suggest that N-acetylcysteine inhibits cocaine-seeking. The present pilot study evaluated whether N-acetylcysteine would suppress reactivity to cocaine-related cues in cocaine-dependent humans. METHOD: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 15 participants received N-acetylcysteine or placebo during a 3-day hospitalization. Participants were crossed over to receive the opposite condition on a second, identical 3-day stay occurring 4 days later. During each hospital stay, participants completed a cue-reactivity procedure that involved collecting psychophysical and subjective data in response to slides depicting cocaine and cocaine use. RESULTS: While taking N-acetylcysteine, participants reported less desire to use and less interest in response to cocaine slides and watched cocaine slides for less time. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibition of cocaine cue reactivity is consistent with existing preclinical data and supports the use of N-acetylcysteine as a treatment for cocaine dependence.
Am J Psychiatry 164:1115-1117, July 2007doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.164.7.1115
Steven D. LaRowe, Ph.D., Hugh Myrick, M.D., Sarra Hedden, M.S., Pascale Mardikian, M.D., Michael Saladin, Ph.D., Aimee McRae, Pharm.D., Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D., Peter W. Kalivas, Ph.D. and Robert Malcolm, M.D.
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Do you believe that more sophisticated and populous further studies re: NAC's affect on cocaine cravings will be foregone or even trivialized due its' current availability and a lack of funded-sponsorship by the pharmaceutical industry? I say this in consideration of my always curious 'insight' in trying to perceive how the profitability would be reaped by that industry. Analogous are the case(s) in point: "L-Trytophan"'s disappearance and Prozac's debut in the late 1980's and the statin/niacin roles in the 'disclosed' treatment options for blood lipid and cholesterol levels, until Niaspan's patent and its' Pharmaceutical introduction as a viable candidate as one of those options (..synthetically speaking) after it was FDA-approved and had moved in to become a 'bottom-line' contributer.
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