title: Evaluation of oral zinc sulfate effect on obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a common neuropsychiatric condition. Although various pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychiatrists often find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects of these medications, the patients do not respond properly to the treatment, or the medications lose their effectiveness after a period of treatment. The augmentation with safe supplementation of medication, such as with trace elements, may be a solution to some of these problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a prospective, double-blinded, 8-wk trial. Twelve patients were given fluoxetine (20 mg/d) plus zinc (440 mg/d) and 11 patients were given fluoxetine plus placebo for 8 wk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups showed a decrease in the mean Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score. Based on t tests, in weeks 2 and 8, patients treated with fluoxetine plus zinc had significantly lower scores than those treated with fluoxetine plus placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that zinc, as adjuvant agent for obsessive-compulsive disorder, produces improved outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran. sayah_bargard@Hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayyah
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olapour
authors.forename: Yashar shahhosseini
authors.initials: Ys
authors.lastname: Saeedabad
authors.forename: Rezvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yazdan Parast
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malayeri
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015032:Zinc / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014131:Trace Elements; D015032:Zinc; D019287:Zinc Sulfate