Kamboj, SK;
Zhao, H;
Troebinger, L;
Piazza, G;
Cawley, E;
Hennessy, V;
Iskandar, G;
(2021)
Rewarding Subjective Effects of the NMDAR Antagonist Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) Are Moderated by Impulsivity and Depressive Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers.
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
10.1093/ijnp/pyab009.
(In press).
Preview |
Text
Kamboj_Kamboj et al 2021_IJNP_Rewarding subjective effects of N2O_1.pdf - Published Version Download (227kB) | Preview |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an anaesthetic gas with both therapeutic and abuse potential. As an NMDAR antagonist, its effects are expected to resemble those of the prototypical NMDAR antagonist, ketamine. Here, we examine the subjective rewarding effects of N2O using measures previously employed in studies of ketamine. We also test for moderation of these effects by bipolar phenotype, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity. METHODS: Healthy volunteers were randomised to either 50% N2O (n=40) or medical air (n=40). Self-reported rewarding (liking and wanting), and alcohol-like effects were assessed pre-, peri- and post-inhalation. RESULTS: Effect sizes for the various rewarding/alcohol-like effects of N2O were generally similar to those reported in studies of moderate-dose ketamine. Impulsivity moderated the subjective reinforcing (liking) effects of inhaled gas, while depressive symptoms moderated motivational (wanting [more]) effects. However, depression and impulsivity had opposite directional influences, such that higher impulsivity was associated with higher N2O-liking, and higher depression, with lower N2O-wanting. CONCLUSIONS: To the extent that static (versus longitudinal) subjective rewarding effects are a reliable indicator of future problematic drug use, our findings suggests that impulsivity and depression may respectively predispose and protect against N2O abuse. Future studies should examine if these moderators are relevant for other NMDAR antagonists, including ketamine, and novel ketamine-like therapeutics and recreational drugs. Similarities between moderate-dose N2O and moderate-dose ketamine in the intensity of certain subjective effects suggest that N2O may, at least partially, substitute for ketamine as a safe and easily-implemented experimental tool for probing reward-related NMDAR function and dysfunction in humans.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Rewarding Subjective Effects of the NMDAR Antagonist Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) Are Moderated by Impulsivity and Depressive Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/ijnp/pyab009 |
| Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyab009 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits noncommercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | NMDA receptor, alcohol, ketamine, nitrous oxide, reward |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10122916 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
