Retrieval-dependent Nitrous Oxide Therapy (R-NOT): A novel treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

The context and challenge: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating and persistent psychiatric condition that causes severe social and occupational impairment. The lifetime prevalence rate is 7-8%, although some occupational groups (e.g. first responders) and communities (e.g. asylum seekers) are especially vulnerable to stress-related disorders. Without effective treatment, PTSD follows a chronic course and contributes to numerous physical and psychiatric comorbidities.

Existing therapies for PTSD are resource-intensive yet ineffective in many patients. In well-controlled clinical trials,