Nitrous Oxide Alters Functional Connectivity in Medial Limbic Structures in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression.

ABSTRACT: While nitrous oxide (N₂O) has demonstrated antidepressant properties in treatment-resistant major depression (TRD), little is known about neural mechanisms mediating these effects. Employing serial resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), we compared spatiotemporal effects of inhaled N₂O on brain functional connectivity in TRD patients (n=14) and non-depressed healthy controls (n=16, CNTL). Participants received sequential, one-hour inhalations of either 50% N₂O/oxygen or air/oxygen (placebo), with sessions separated by at least one month in random cross-over order. BOLD-contrast rs-fMRI scans were acquired at three time points: pre-inhalation, 2 hours post-inhalation, and 24 hours post-inhalation. For the rs-fMRI functional connectivi

SUBMITTER: Conway CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11343248 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature