Reinforcing effects of extended inhalation of a low nitrous oxide concentration in humans.
Cathleen S. Dohrn, J L Lichtor, Dennis W. Coalson, David Flemming, James P Zacny
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(93)90224-h (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized choice paradigm Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | Nitrous oxide |
| Dose | 20% nitrous oxide inhaled for 30 minutes |
| Duration | 30-minute inhalation sessions, with choice sessions and poststudy debriefing |
| Key points | Nitrous oxide was chosen on only 22% of occasions, indicating it did not function as a reinforcer overall. It produced mood changes but no psychomotor effects. Only 3 of 12 subjects chose it repeatedly and reported pleasant effects, while 9 reported unpleasant effects. |
Abstract
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 psychomotor performance. Three out of the 12 subjects chose nitrous oxide on at least two out of the three choice sessions, and during a poststudy debriefing interview, reported pleasant effects of the drug. The other nine subjects reported unpleasant acute effects of the drug (e.g., drowsiness) or residual (postsession) effects of the drug which, they said, influenced their drug choice. The present results are compared to those results obtained in a previous study in which higher concentrations of nitrous oxide (30 and 40%) also produced relatively low choice rates. The apparent lack of reinforcing effects of extended inhalation of nitrous oxide is discussed.
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Lack of sex differences to the subjective effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence December 1, 2010
- Analysis of the reinforcing and subjective effects of different doses of nitrous oxide using a free-choice procedure. Drug and Alcohol Dependence March 1, 2002
- Within- and between-subject variability in the reinforcing and subjective effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence September 1, 2001
- Effects of information on the reinforcing, subjective, and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 25, 1997
- The effects of alcohol history on the reinforcing, subjective and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 14, 1997
and 2 more in the library
Cites 3
- Reinforcing effects of extended inhalation of nitrous oxide in humans. Drug and Alcohol Dependence February 1, 1993
- Subjective and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Behavioural Pharmacology February 1, 1992
- Effects of a subanaesthetic concentration of nitrous oxide on memory and subjective experience: Influence of assessment procedures and types of stimuli Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 1988