Increased Oxygen Improves Depression
At a recent scientific meeting, researcher R. Haim Belmaker reported that giving mildly to moderately depressed adults a nasal tube that delivers extra oxygen overnight for four weeks produced dramatic antidepressant effects. A total of 55 participants aged 18–65 years old were randomized to receive either normal room air (made up of about 21% oxygen), or hyperoxia (air containing about 35% oxygen). There was greater improvement on several different depression rating scales, including the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impression Scale, and the Sheehan Disability Scale, among those who received hyperoxia than among those who received normal air.
According to Belmaker, 69% of the patients who were treated with oxygen-enriched air improved on the CGI scale, compared to only 23% patients who were treated with room air. Limitations of the study were its small sample size and the lack of a clear biological mechanism for the effects of increased oxygen.
