Which is the best way of using nitrous oxide for treatment and research in neuropsychiatry?
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria May 10, 2021 M. Gillman
Nitrous oxide (N2O), at low, anxiolytic, and non-anaesthetic doses, can ameliorate depression, with effects occurring immediately and enduring after administration. The antidepressant action likely involves opioid receptors rather than N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonism, as NMDAr blockade occurs only at higher N2O concentrations. Evidence from naloxone blocking ketamine's antidepressant effect and the ineffectiveness of NMDAr antagonists like memantine supports opioid receptor involvement. N2O may also serve as an adjuvant to routine antidepressant medication.