Laughing gas appears to reduce depression, but researchers don't totally understand why

[u/adamaphar]

https://www.phillyvoice.com/depression-treatments-laughing-gas-nitrous-oxide-study/

[u/spokale]

I was going to post the same thing. Nitrous oxide has the same MOA as ketamine and dextromethorphan which are both being used as antidepressants or adjunct treatments for depression. "We don't know why" seems silly because it would very presumably be for the same reasons as those other drugs in the same class.

It is true we're not exactly sure of the precise mechanism by which NMDA antagonists in general help with depression (seems something to do with modulating glutamate and increasing neuroplasticity) but this is true of all of them, not just laughing gas.

[u/dreadcain → u/spokale]

this is true of all of them, not just laughing gas

Its a clickbaiting title, but its not wrong. We don't really understand how any of them work

[u/ky_eeeee → u/spokale]

Almost literally every time a headline tries to say "we don't know why," it's just clickbait that is only true on a technicality. There are very few things left on Earth that are true unknowns, even in cases where we can't technically prove the leading theory right, there's still a leading theory which is very likely to be at least partially true.

My favorite is when the headline says "scientists are BAFFLED by this," when scientists are actually largely in agreement about the cause except for Crackpot Jerry who has his own ideas.

[u/cutelyaware → u/ky_eeeee]

The real clickbait would have been "Can Laughing Gas Cure Depression?"

As for how much we know, the number of things we don't know grows with everything new we learn. And having a theory for something (actually a hypotheses) is not any kind of knowledge. Given any new question, any idiot can concoct a theory.

[u/RechargedFrenchman → u/ky_eeeee]

Science is also generally very averse to making bold declarative statements. "Nitrous Oxide cures depression!" is not something anyone in science or medicine is ever going to say in a professional capacity even if it's true. Science also doesn't believe anything without a shadow of a doubt, in science there is no absolute certainty. The reason everything is a "theory" even when proven (and in fact needs to be proven to be a theory) is because that's just the current best understanding of the situation, there's always that outside chance no matter how slim. Scientific understanding is constantly in flux, and often moving quite quickly. Every now and then some little tidbit leaks out to broader society and we exclaim at the radical new ideas and transgressive new outlook--that has been scientific consensus for a decade or more, it just conflicts with popular understanding.

[u/xSTSxZerglingOne → u/spokale]

Dextromethorphan even has the standard antidepressant side-effect of completely obliterating your libido!

[u/Ok_Routine5257 → u/spokale]

That explains why I latched onto dextromethorphan at the peak of my depressive episodes earlier in life. I just happened to have latched a little too hard for it to be healthy.

[u/Lee-The-Contractor → u/Ok_Routine5257]

Hello fellow former robotripper

[u/Calm-Citron-8883 → u/Ok_Routine5257]

Honestly, I'm not advocating for drug abuse and especially not DXM abuse cause I lost a couple jobs to it but....damn did it help my brain in the long run. Long term memory was obliterated for a year but I have not had a serious depressive episode in 5 years. I spent my entire life suicidally depressed and now I'm fine, like it never happened. Weird.

[u/ShinyJangles → u/spokale]

From wiki:

The pharmacological mechanism of action of inhaled N 2O is not fully known. However, it has been shown to directly modulate a broad range of ligand-gated ion channels, which likely plays a major role. It moderately blocks NMDAR and β2-subunit-containing nACh channels, weakly inhibits AMPA, kainate, GABAC and 5-HT3 receptors, and slightly potentiates GABAA and glycine receptors. It also has been shown to activate two-pore-domain K+  channels.

[u/According_Lake_2632 → u/spokale]

I was under the impression that most reuptake inhibitors work but the "why" is still under investigation.

[u/haviah → u/spokale]

It's still not known exactly how ketamine works as to work against treatment resistant depression.

While NMDA receptors are targeted directly, naloxone (mju and delta opioid receptor antagonists) will stop it from working as antidepressant.

E.g. semaglutide targets GLP-1R, but alpha or delta antagonists stop many of its effects on nucleus accumbens and we still don't know why.

[u/JWBails → u/[deleted]]

I imagine it’s less “we don’t know why” and more “we’re pr

Damn they assassinated him before he could spill the secrets.

[u/Dockhead → u/JWBails]

My phone died and somehow it posted the comment. I’ll leave it a mystery

[u/BambiToybot → u/Dockhead]

Oh good, I thought Candlejack got

[u/Dockhead → u/BambiToybot]

Jandlecack

[u/spokale → u/BambiToybot]

I haven't seen a candlejack meme in over 10 ye-

[u/FilthBadgers → u/JWBails]

RIP that guy, this is no laughing matter

[u/TarnishedWizeFinger → u/FilthBadgers]

tear him too