Key clinical point: In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) positively affects cerebral glucose metabolism, and this appears to be associated with improved symptoms related to cognition and attention.
Major finding: Based on fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) data, NAC group vs. the control group demonstrated significant increases in cerebral glucose metabolism after therapy in several brain regions including the lateral and middle temporal lobes, inferior frontal lobe, and caudate ( P less than .05). NAC group had significant improvements in self-reported scores related to cognition and attention.
Study details: Twenty-four patients with a diagnosis of MS were randomly assigned to NAC plus standard of care or standard of care only (waitlist control group). FDG PET was used to assess cerebral glucose metabolism at baseline and after 2 months in all patients.
Disclosures: This study was supported by a grant from the Coors Foundation. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
Citation: Monti DA et al. Front Neurol. 2020 Feb 14. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00088.