Nitrous Oxide as Treatment for Major Depression – a Pilot Study

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global medical problem with significant shortcomings in current therapy. Chief among these is the delay between initiation of pharmacologic therapy and clinical improvement in symptoms. Recently ketamine, an NDMA-receptor antagonist has been shown to rapidly and effectively reverse the symptoms of MDD.

Nitrous oxide, another NMDA-receptor antagonist, may produce the same effect with a cleaner side-effect profile and perhaps without the need for intravenous access and anesthesia personnel.

Therefore, we propose conducting a pilot randomized placebo controlled double-blind crossover study in which patients will receive up to 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen or up to 50% oxygen in air for a period of one hour in addition to standard medical therapy. Depression severity will be assessed by a blinded observer pre-treatment, 30 minutes and 2 hours post treatment using the Hamilton depression rating scale.

Topic Depression
Compound Placebo Nitrous Oxide
Country United States of America
Visit trial
Status Completed
Results Published
Start date 11 January 2012
End date 04 January 2015
Phase Phase II
Design Blinded
Type Interventional
Generation First
Participants 21
Sex All
Age 18- 65
Therapy No

Trial Details

We will study 20 patients with non-treatment resistant major depression and 20 patients with treatment-resistant major depression, defined as failure of at least 2 antidepressants in the current depressive episode and 3 lifetime medication failures.

Trial Number NCT02139540

Sponsors & Collaborators

Washington University School of Medicine
Located in St. Louis Missouri, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have conducted a number of studies with psychedelics inlcuding ketamine, psilocybin and nitrous oxide.

James S McDonnell Foundation
This company doesn't have a full profile yet, it is linked to a clinical trial.

Measures Used

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) is a multiple item questionnaire used to provide an indication of depression, and as a guide to evaluating recovery. The scale consists of 17 items which each item being scoring on a 3 or 5 point scale. The higher the score, the more likely a person is depressed.

Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) (QIDS-SR16) is a self-report tool designed to screen for depression and measure changes in the severity of symptoms.

Data attribution

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