Laughing gas could help treat depression, study finds
One study found that laughing gas may offer a fast-acting treatment for depression.
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a colorless gas that is inhaled and commonly used as a pain reliever.
The gas, which is banned for recreational use in 2023, can cause dizziness, lightheadedness and a feeling of relief in people; However, intensive use can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, which can damage the nerves in the spinal cord.
But the drug, which is still legal for medical use, has been shown to provide rapid-acting improvement in depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
This may be especially helpful for the 48 percent of patients who do not respond to first-line antidepressants, researchers say.
“Depression is a debilitating illness and is made worse by the fact that antidepressants make no significant difference in almost half of all diagnosed patients,” said Kiranpreet Gill, a University of Birmingham Medical Research Council-funded PhD researcher and first author of the study.
“Our analysis shows that nitrous oxide could form part of a new generation of fast-acting treatments for depression.”
For the study published in the journal ebiomedicineResearchers from the University of Birmingham, the University of Oxford and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust evaluated seven clinical trials and four protocol articles published by researchers from around the world.
Each research study looked at the use of nitrous oxide in treating depressive disorders, including MDD, TRD, and bipolar depression.
Researchers found that a single treatment of clinical nitrous oxide inhaled at a 50 percent concentration produced rapid and significant reductions in depressive symptoms within 24 hours. However, these effects did not last more than a week.
However, when the dose was spread out over several weeks, the effects lasted longer.
The drug is thought to target glutamate receptors, which are vital for learning and memory, in a similar way to ketamine, another fast-acting antidepressant. This may explain why mood improvements can be observed immediately following breathing, the study authors say.
David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, who believes the nitrous oxide ban is political, has written about the clinical value of the drug.
he said Independent: “The reason why it is called laughing gas is that it eliminates the natural tension and anxiety in our brains, thus making people instantly relaxed and happy.
“It changes blood flow to the brain and possibly disrupts the brain circuits of depression.”
Researchers involved in the study examined the safety and potential side effects of nitrous oxide. Some patients experienced side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headache, all of which resolved quickly and without the need for medical intervention.
Although higher doses at 50 percent concentration increase the likelihood of these side effects, researchers had no short-term safety concerns.
However, the researchers emphasized that long-term safety needs to be evaluated in future studies.
Professor Steven Marwaha, from the University of Birmingham and senior author of the study, said: “This is an important milestone in understanding the potential of nitrous oxide as an additional treatment option for patients with depression where existing treatments have failed. This population has often lost hope of recovery, making the results of this study particularly exciting.”
