There’s something in the air: empirical evidence for the effects of negative air ions (NAI) on psychophysiological state and performance

Numerous reports document advances made in our understanding of the effects of negative air ions on physiological functions and human health. Collectively, these reports demonstrate an increasing awareness of their mechanisms, and reflect contrasting findings about their influence. The purpose of the present paper was to review the evidence base for the beneficial effects of negative air ions (NAI) in improving neuropsychological performance and treating mood disorders. Underlying mechanisms, treatments parameters and the extent to which negative air ionization can represent a valuable treatment for affective disturbances are reported together with experimental data gathered from our laboratory. The analysis, particularly with randomized, controlled trials suggests that NAI treatment for mood disorders is in general effective with effects almost equivalent to those in other antidepressant non pharmacotherapy trials. Despite the growth in clinical research, there remained a substantial gap in mental health services to translate state-of-the-art treatments and incorporate them into mainstream practice.