When kids and teens with OCD take NAC along with their regular medication, their OCD symptoms get much better overall compared to those who just take the regular medication alone.
Scientific Claim
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) added to citalopram significantly reduces overall OCD symptom severity as measured by Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), with a mean decrease of 9.6 points in the NAC group versus 2.8 points in the placebo group (P<0.02), and a Cohen's d effect size of 0.83.
Original Statement
“The YBOCS score of NAC group significantly decreased from 21.0(8.2) to 11.3(5.7) during this study. However, no statistically significant decrease of YBOCS was found in the placebo group. The Cohen's d effect size was 0.83.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
While the study design supports causal inference, the small sample size (n=34) and high dropout rate (5/34) limit precision. The study's conclusion uses 'suggests' and 'improves' but the evidence strength warrants 'may improve' or 'likely improves' to reflect uncertainty.
More Accurate Statement
“N-acetylcysteine (NAC) added to citalopram may significantly reduce overall OCD symptom severity as measured by Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), with a mean decrease of 9.6 points in the NAC group versus 2.8 points in the placebo group (P<0.02), and a Cohen's d effect size of 0.83.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Some psychometric properties of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQLTM) in the general Serbian population