title: N-acetylcysteine as a potentially useful medication to prevent conversion to schizophrenia in at-risk individuals.
abstract: Schizophrenia is a chronic and often severe psychotic disorder. Its causes include imbalances in mediators involved in neuroplasticity, apoptosis, cell resilience and dendritic arborization. Among these mediators, oxidative species are particularly relevant for the pathophysiology of the disease, and this is the rationale for experimental use of antioxidant medications, such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Onset of schizophrenia is usually preceded by a period of subtle and unspecific symptoms, the prodrome, in which preventive interventions could delay or even stop the progression to full-blown psychosis. In this article, we propose that NAC could be a useful medication to prevent evolution of schizophrenia in individuals at risk for psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Edificio de Pesquisas II, Sao Paulo, Brazil. asevedo@unifesp.br
authors.forename: Elson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asevedo
authors.forename: Graccielle R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zugman
authors.forename: Rodrigo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mansur
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brietzke
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D000111:Acetylcysteine