Nitrous oxide could disrupt formation of traumatic memories

Nitrous oxide administered after a traumatic event may help to prevent distressing memories from 'sticking' in the brain, suggests new UCL research. The study, published in Psychological Medicine , found that people who inhaled nitrous oxide after watching traumatic film clips experienced a much faster decline in distressing memories than those who breathed normal air. The number of distressing memories reported by the volunteers went down exponentially over the days following the film for those given nitrous oxide, while the decline was more gradual and linear for those given air. The research involved 50 healthy adult volunteers who watched two graphic scenes from a film once described as 'so violent and cruel that most people will find it unwatchable'. These film clips were chosen as they have been shown to create a much milder form of the intrusive memories that might form following real-life trauma. The study was overseen by both a trained clinical psychologist and a medical doctor. After participants had seen the clips, they were given a gas to breathe for half an hour.