Abstract

Background: Dysregulation of glutamate is implicated in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Consistently, glutamate-modulating agents, such as riluzole and memantine have been used in OCD treatment. Previous research has identified some neuroprotective role for L-carnosine potentially via its modulatory effect on glutamate. Here, we assessed the efficacy of L-carnosine as adjuvant to fluvoxamine in OCD treatment. Methods: Forty-four patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OCD were recruited in a randomized double-blind trial. Patients received either L-carnosine or placebo as adjuvant to fluvoxamine for 10 weeks. The Yale- Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used for assessing the severity of symptoms at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 10. Results: General linear model repeated measure showed significant effects for Time × Treatment interaction on total Y-BOCS F (2.10, 88.42) = 8.66, p < 0.001, obsession F (1.88, 79.34) = 4.96, p = 0.01 and compulsion F (1.88, 79.11) = 4.57, p = 0.01. At week 10, the change from baseline in Y-BOCS scores was 8.86 ± 2.89 (mean ± SD) in the L-carnosine group compared to 5.86 ± 2.88 in the placebo group. Conclusion: L-carnosine results in significant reduction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms when used as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.