Why is ketamine an antidepressant? A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the action of antidepressants is urgently needed. Moda-Sava et al. explored a possible mode of action for the drug ketamine, which has recently been shown to help patients recover from depression (see the Perspective by Beyeler). Ketamine rescued behavior in mice that was associated with depression-like...
Summary Emerging evidence suggests that nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a gaseous NMDA receptor antagonist and dissociative anesthetic, exerts rapid antidepressant effects akin to subanesthetic ketamine. However, its cellular, molecular, and behavioral effects remain poorly understood. Using in vivo two-photon imaging through cortical microprisms, we demonstrate that 50% N 2 O/O 2 rapidly increases...