Brain function changes reveal rapid antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide for treatment-resistant depression:Evidence from task-state EEG.
Psychiatry Research January 1, 2023 Xuexiao Shao, Danfeng Yan, Wenwen Kong et al.
In patients with treatment-resistant depression, a single 1-hour inhalation of nitrous oxide improved depressive symptoms more than a placebo, as measured by the 17-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The treatment altered brain function, shown by changes in event-related potential components (N1, P1, N2, P2) and increased functional connectivity networks. These brain changes correlated with symptom reduction, suggesting nitrous oxide works by modifying brain function.