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IMAGE: Peter Nagele, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care at the University of Chicago, hasbeen studying the potential of nitrous oxide as an antidepressant for. view more
Credit: University of Chicago
A single, one-hour treatment that involves breathing in a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide otherwise known as laughing gas significantly improved symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression, according to new data from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chicago.
In a phase 2 clinical trial, the researchers demonstrated that symptoms of depression improve rapidly following treatment with inhaled nitrous oxide. Further, they reported the benefits can last for several weeks.
Lack of oxygen, which is harmful to the brain, causes hydrogen sulfide sewer gas to accumulate in the brain. The brains of lab animals repeatedly exposed to hydrogen sulfide became tolerant to the gas and lack of oxygen. Researchers identified the mechanism that induces this tolerance, which could lead to new treatments for brain injuries caused by oxygen deprivation.