N-acetilcisteína: a utilização do suplemento como adjuvante no tratamento de depressão no transtorno bipolar

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the applicability of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an adjunctive treatment for depression in Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD). Method: This is an integrative literature review, using the PubMed database, based on the following guiding question: "Can N-acetylcysteine be useful in the treatment of psychopathologies such as BAD?" Results: Fifty-six studies were found, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, five publications were selected, including two double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials and three secondary analyses of studies using this methodology. Conclusion: Although it has shown potential benefits regarding low serum levels of amino acids, the utility of NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) has been partially inconclusive in the analyzed studies. However, due to its therapeutic potential, NAC could be further explored in new studies with different methodologies, approaches, and objectives.