Neurological and Psychological Characteristics of Young Nitrous Oxide Abusers and Its Underlying Causes During the COVID-19 Lockdown.
Frontiers in public health January 1, 2022 Gang Wu, Shanshan Wang, Tingling Wang et al.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, six young adults who abused nitrous oxide were hospitalized with neurological symptoms including limb numbness and an unsteady gait. Laboratory tests showed four had low vitamin B12 and three had elevated homocysteine levels, though none had pernicious anemia. Spinal MRI revealed abnormal signals in the cervical spinal cord in four patients, and five had peripheral nerve damage on electromyography. Psychological evaluations indicated severe anxiety, depression, and psychosis in all patients, more severe than in the general population. Their motivations for inhaling nitrous oxide included boredom, curiosity, and peer pressure, and their families spent less than one day per week with them during the lockdown.