N-Acetylcysteine for Pediatric Trichotillomania

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Trichotillomania (hair pulling) has an estimated lifetime prevalence of 1-3%. Children with trichotillomania can experience significant impairment due to peer teasing, avoidance of activities (such as swimming and socializing), difficulty concentrating on school work and medical complications due to pulling behaviors. Despite the fact that trichotillomania has a childhood onset, no randomized, controlled trials have been completed in childhood trichotillomania.

Research in adults with trichotillomania has demonstrated that most commonly currently prescribed treatment for trichotillomania, (pharmacotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) is ineffective in treating this condition. By contrast, randomized controlled trials in adults have suggested the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine as well as behavioral treatments such as Habit Reversal Therapy.

The goal of this trial is to determine the efficacy of N-Acetylcysteine for pediatric trichotillomania. N-Acetylcysteine is a glutamate modulating agent, with a fairly benign side-effect profile.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborator: Trichotillomania Learning Center
• Treatments: Acetylcysteine; N-monoacetylcystine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 8-17 years.

• Primary DSM-IV diagnosis of trichotillomania or chronic hair pulling.

• Duration of trichotillomania greater than 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Comorbid bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, substance use disorder, developmental disorder or mental retardation (IQ<70).

• Recent change (less than 4 weeks) in medications that have potential effects on TTM severity (such as SSRIs, CMI, naltrexone, lithium, psychostimulants, anxiolytics, or antipsychotics). Medication change is defined to include either dose changes or medication discontinuation.

• Asthma requiring medication use within the last 6 months.

• Known hypersensitivity or previous anaphylactoid reaction to acetylcysteine or any components in its preparation

• Current use (within last week) of psychostimulant medications.

• Positive pregnancy test or drug screening test