Evaluation of oral zinc sulfate effect on obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial
Abstract
Objective Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a common neuropsychiatric condition. Although various pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychiatrists often find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects of these medications, the patients do not respond properly to the treatment, or the medications lose their effectiveness after a period of treatment. The augmentation with safe supplementation of medication, such as with trace elements, may be a solution to some of these problems.Methods This study was a prospective, double-blinded, 8-wk trial. Twelve patients were given fluoxetine (20 mg/d) plus zinc (440 mg/d) and 11 patients were given fluoxetine plus placebo for 8 wk.Results Both groups showed a decrease in the mean Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score. Based on t tests, in weeks 2 and 8, patients treated with fluoxetine plus zinc had significantly lower scores than those treated with fluoxetine plus placebo.Conclusion The results show that zinc, as adjuvant agent for obsessive-compulsive disorder, produces improved outcomes.
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An anxiolytic effect of zinc was recorded in anxiety disorder preclinical and clinical discoveries.
“In addition, an anxiolytic effect of zinc was recorded in anxiety disorder preclinical [292, 293] and clinical [294] discoveries backing up this hypothesis”
From Oxidative Stress Implications in the Affective Disorders: Main Biomarkers, Animal Models Relevance, Genetic Perspectives, and Antioxidant Approaches (2016) · cites this paper as [293]
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- Authors
- Sayyah, M., Olapour, A., Saeedabad, Y. S., Yazdan Parast, R., & Malayeri, A.
- Affiliations
- Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Hafez Hospital (IR)
- Corresponding author
- Sayyah, Mehdi
- Venue
- Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-09
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 892-895
- ISSN
- 0899-9007 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2135212984
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Trace Elements in Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, zinc sulfate, zinc supplementation, fluoxetine, adjuvant therapy, trace elements, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, treatment-resistant OCD
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Oral, Adult, Double-Blind Method, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Fluoxetine, Humans, Male, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Prospective Studies, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Trace Elements, Zinc, Treatment Outcome, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Zinc Sulfate, Dietary Supplements
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