Nitrous Oxide in the Treatment of Acute Suicidal Ideation

Summary

The primary aim of the NITOS study is to investigate the potential rapid antisuicidal effects of N2O in the transdiagnostic treatment of suicidal ideation. On day 1, patients will receive either nitrous oxide (50% N2O balanced with oxygen) or placebo (50% oxygen balanced with air). Seven days after the first inhalation, a second inhalation will be performed. All patients will receive N2O at least once during this trial. While the first inhalation will be double-blind, only the patients but not the raters will be blinded to the second inhalation (day 8). For mechanism of action and prediction, a nested biomarker substudy will employ multimodal techniques including analysis of hair and blood samples, and EEG.

Timeline

Start

2025-01-13

Primary completion

2026-09-30

Completion

2026-09-30

Publications

• Kronenberg G, Bankwitz A, Provaznikova B, Muller M, Quednow BB, Seifritz E, Olbrich S. Inhalational nitrous oxide as a transdiagnostic approach for the treatment of suicidal ideation and suicidality in psychiatric inpatients: protocol for a double-blind randomised, controlled clinical single-centre trial. BMJ Open. 2025 Jul 16;15(7):e096825. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-096825.

Drugs

Indications