The reinforcing, subjective, and psychomotor effects of 30 min of inhalation of 20% nitrous oxide were determined in 12 healthy volunteers using a choice paradigm with 100% oxygen as placebo. Nitrous oxide was chosen on only 22% of choice occasions, indicating that, in general, this concentration did not function as a reinforcer. Nitrous oxide produced changes in mood, but had no effect on...
AbstractNitrous oxide, commonly used in medical settings for its anxiolytic, analgesic, and anesthetic effects, is also used recreationally. One method of using this agent recreationally is to inhale a pure bolus of nitrous oxide (N2 O) one or more times in succession. The effects of such an inhalation mode (i.e. brief inhalation of higher concentrations of N2 O) have not been adequately...