The reinforcing effects of brief exposures to nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers.
James P Zacny, Jerome M Klafta, Dennis W. Coalson, S Marks, C J Young, P A Klock, A Y Toledano, N Jordan, J L Apfelbaum
Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1016/s0376-8716(96)01281-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects choice procedure Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers with modest lifetime history of psychoactive drug use |
| Intervention | Nitrous oxide |
| Dose | 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% inspired concentrations |
| Duration | Four sessions |
| Key points | Nitrous oxide at 20-80% concentrations did not function as a reinforcer, as choice levels did not exceed chance. |
Abstract
The reinforcing and subjective effects of brief (about 1.5 min) exposures to nitrous oxide, ranging from inspired concentrations of 20-80% in oxygen, were examined in 11 healthy volunteers. A choice procedure was used in which during each of four sessions, subjects first sampled a given concentration of nitrous oxide and placebo oxygen, and then chose between the two. 20, 40, 60 and 80% nitrous oxide were chosen by five, four, three, and three subjects, respectively--these choice levels did not exceed that of chance. All concentrations had psychoactive effects, and in general, concentration-related subjective effects were found. We conclude that in a medical setting, nitrous oxide inhaled in a manner similar to that when used recreationally in a naturalistic setting, does not function as a reinforcer across a wide range of concentrations, in subjects with a modest lifetime history of psychoactive drug use.