Amelioration of acute sequelae of blast induced mild traumatic brain injury by N-acetyl cysteine: a double-blind, placebo controlled study
Hoffer ME
Published in PLoS One
Methodology
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT00822263) at a deployed field hospital; seven days of N-acetyl cysteine or placebo after significant ordnance blast exposure meeting mTBI criteria; symptom evaluation at baseline, day 3 and day 7.
Key Findings
81 active-duty US service members with blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury at a forward field hospital in Iraq were randomised to N-acetyl cysteine or placebo for seven days and re-evaluated at days 3 and 7. Logistic regression on the outcome of having no symptoms at day 7 favoured NAC strongly over placebo (odds ratio 3.6, p = 0.006), covering dizziness, hearing loss, headache, memory loss, sleep disturbance and neurocognitive dysfunction. In secondary analysis, those treated within 24 hours of blast had an 86% chance of symptom resolution versus 42% for early placebo, with no reported side effects.
Conclusions
NAC had beneficial effects on the severity and resolution of sequelae of blast-induced mTBI.
Limitations
Only 81 participants over a seven-day window in an active combat theatre, with short-term symptom resolution as the outcome and no long-term follow-up; the within-24-hour result is a secondary analysis in a young military population.
Supplements Studied
NAC, a safe pharmaceutical countermeasure, has beneficial effects on the severity and resolution of sequelae of blast induced mTBI.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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