The Subjective Response to Nitrous Oxide is a Potential Pharmaco-Endophenotype for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Preliminary Study with Heavy Drinkers.
Katie Walsh, Ravi Das, Sunjeev K. Kamboj
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology April 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyw063 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Heavy drinkers who were otherwise healthy |
| Dose | 50% |
| Topics | Addiction |
| Keywords | Nmda receptor Endophenotype Nitrous oxide |
| Key findings | Participants with a family history of alcohol-use disorders showed an enhanced stimulation-to-sedation ratio during N2O inhalation compared to those without such familial risk. |
Abstract
Healthy people with a family history of alcohol problems show a pattern of subjective responses to alcohol that resemble those of affected probands. Studies on ketamine suggest that up-regulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) underlies these effects, and point to a pharmacologically-responsive endophenotype reflecting enhanced risk for alcohol-use disorders. Subjective stimulant and sedative effects were assessed before and during nitrous oxide (N2O; 50%) inhalation in heavy drinkers who were otherwise healthy. Participants with an ostensible family history of alcohol-use disorders (n = 23) were distinguishable from those without such familial risk (n = 37) by an enhanced stimulation-to-sedation ratio during N2O inhalation. The pattern of subjective effects of N2O according to familial risk is remarkably similar to that previously seen with ketamine, supporting the idea of a common, NMDAR-mediated mechanism of action. N2O may prove to be a safe and accessible alternative to ketamine for probing heritable NMDAR dysregulation in neuropsychiatric disorders.