Editing Nitrous oxide (section)

===Anxiolytic effect===
In behavioural tests of [[anxiety]], a low dose of {{chem|N|2|O}} is an effective [[anxiolytic]]. This anti-anxiety effect is associated with enhanced activity of GABA{{ssub|A}} receptors, as it is partially reversed by [[GABAA receptor|benzodiazepine receptor]] [[receptor antagonist|antagonists]]. Mirroring this, animals that have developed tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of [[benzodiazepine]]s are partially tolerant to {{chem|N|2|O}}.<ref name="emmanouil">{{cite journal|title=Nitrous oxide anxiolytic effect in mice in the elevated plus maze: mediation by benzodiazepine receptors |vauthors=Emmanouil DE, Johnson CH, Quock RM |journal=Psychopharmacology |volume=115 |issue=1–2 |pages=167–72 |year=1994 |doi=10.1007/BF02244768 |pmid=7862891|s2cid=21652496 }}</ref> Indeed, in humans given 30% {{chem|N|2|O}}, benzodiazepine receptor antagonists reduced the subjective reports of feeling "high", but did not alter [[psychomotor learning|psychomotor]] performance.<ref name="zacny">{{cite journal|title=Flumazenil may attenuate some subjective effects of nitrous oxide in humans: a preliminary report |vauthors=Zacny JP, Yajnik S, Coalson D, Lichtor JL, Apfelbaum JL, Rupani G, Young C, Thapar P, Klafta J |journal=Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=815–9 |year=1995 |doi=10.1016/0091-3057(95)00039-Y |pmid=7675863|s2cid=39068081 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gillman |first=Mark Akfred |date=2022 |title=What is better for psychiatry: Titrated or fixed concentrations of nitrous oxide? |journal=Front. Psychiatry |volume=13 |issue=773190 |pages=460–3|doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.773190 |pmid=36072452 |pmc=9441863 |doi-access=free }}</ref>