Experts led from the University of Chicago ran trials involving 24 patients
Each was given an hour s session inhaling 25 or 50% laughing gas or a placebo
The team found that the 25% gas mixture was nearly as effective as the 50% one
Furthermore, it cut down on negative side effects like nausea by three-quarters
Laughing gas could be used on patients with treatment-resistant depression
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A single one-hour treatment with nitrous oxide - also known as laughing gas - can relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression for several weeks, according to a phase 2 clinical trial involving 28 participants. By showing that a 25% concentration of the gas still has therapeutic effects, the results suggest that lower concentrations of nitrous oxide could be useful against depression in the clinic while bringing a lower risk of side effects. Inhaled nitrous oxide is commonly used as a sedative agent in dental and medical offices, but the gas has also attracted attention as a possible treatment for depression. A previous study showed that nitrous oxide had marked antidepressant effects against treatment-resistant major depression, a severe form of depression that often fails to respond to standard antidepressants. However, this earlier study didn t evaluate the treatment s effects beyond 24 hours and used 50% nitrous oxide, a high concentration that can cause side effe
AMELIE-BENOIST/BSIPl/Alamy
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, has shown promise as a treatment for depression. When people inhaled a low dose as part of a small study, their depression improved over the next two weeks.
It has long been known that nitrous oxide can give a short boost to mood as well as relieving pain – hence its original name of laughing gas – but the effect is thought to wear off quickly. Nitrous oxide is one of the most common anaesthetics, used by hospitals, dental surgeries and paramedics, as well as being available illegally in small capsules for recreational use.
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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.