Taurine Study, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre

Taurine, a conditionally-essential amino acid, has shown some efficacy as an anticonvulsant which may indicate a possible role as a mood stabiliser in bipolar and schizoaffective disorder. It also has neuroprotective properties. Taurine appears to have multiple functions in the brain participating both in volume regulation and neurotransmission. In the latter context it may exert its actions by serving as an agonist at receptors of the GABAergic and glycinergic neurotransmitter systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the taurine neuroprotection hypothesis by comparing changes in brain structure, cognition and psychopathology between two groups of first-epidose patients: One receiving standard antipsychotic medication with supportive therapy and add-on taurine, and the other group receiving standard antipsychotic medication with supportive therapy and placebo.

Approximately 100 participants in total took part in the study. Patients with a first episode of psychosis were recruited from the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) at orygen Youth Health. Taurine 4g was compared with placebo added to standard treatment for a period of 12 weeks in a double blind fashion. Primary outcome measures were changes in psychopathology (PANSS, exBPRSvs4, SANS, CGI, GAF, and YMRS scale), cognition (Cogstate and MATRICS) and neuroimaging indices (volume, FA, MD, MTR, and MRS metabolites) from baseline to twelve weeks.