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5 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Most Sarcosine studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 2011–2022 with a typical study size of 40 participants.
Based on 5 studies · 1 meta-analysis · 2 RCTs · 391 total participants
Confidence
ModerateBy outcome
1 study in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2020
Sarcosine may be associated with a treatment effect on overall clinical symptoms in schizophrenia, but not on cognitive functions.
Chang CH et al. · J Psychopharmacol (2020)
In a 6-week citalopram-controlled trial, sarcosine improved depression scores more than citalopram, but the authors framed the findings as preliminary.
Huang CC et al. · Biol Psychiatry (2013)
Adjunctive sarcosine plus benzoate, but not sarcosine alone, improved cognitive and global functioning in chronic schizophrenia.
Lin CY et al. · World J Biol Psychiatry (2017)
Glutamatergic modulators such as esketamine and sarcosine have shown potential antidepressant action in animal and clinical studies.
Bhatia NY et al. · CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets (2022)
Sarcosine treatment achieved a fast therapeutic effect in some OCD patients, particularly those who were treatment-naive.
Wu PL et al. · J Clin Psychopharmacol (2011)