In a first study of its kind, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy was found to be safe and tolerable for patients with alcohol use disorder. The treatment did not raise serious safety concerns and was well tolerated by participants, suggesting that this combined approach warrants further investigation as a potential therapy for alcohol addiction.
Nitrous oxide, a gas that blocks the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, shows rapid but short-lived antidepressant effects in early-phase trials. Pooled results from three trials using a single 50% dose found significant reductions in depressive symptoms at 2 hours and 24 hours after inhalation, but not at one week. Side effects were mild and temporary, with the 25% dose being better tolerated. Most trials were small, early-phase studies focused on short-term outcomes in adults with major depressive disorder or treatment-resistant depression. Whether nitrous oxide will become a useful clinical treatment depends on whether its effects can be sustained through optimized or repeated dosing.