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Brain function changes reveal rapid antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide for treatment-resistant depression:Evidence from task-state EEG.

Xuexiao Shao, Danfeng Yan, Wenwen Kong, Shuting Sun, Mei Liao, Wenwen Ou, Yan Zhang, Fang Zheng, Xiaowei Li, Lingjiang Li, B. Hu

Psychiatry Research 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115072 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Longitudinal Peer reviewed
Population Patients with treatment-resistant depression
Intervention Nitrous oxide
Measures 17-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17)
Topics Depression
Key findings Nitrous oxide improved depressive symptoms more than placebo and altered brain function, with changes in ERP components and increased functional connectivity correlating with symptom reduction.

Abstract

Nitrous oxide has rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but its underlying mechanisms of therapeutic actions are not well understood. Moreover, most of the current studies lack objective biological indicators to evaluate the changes of nitrous oxide-induced brain function for TRD. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of nitrous oxide on brain function for TRD based on event-related potential (ERP) components and functional connectivity networks (FCNs) methods. In this randomized, longitudinal, placebo-controlled trial, all TRD participants were divided into two groups to receive either a 1-hour inhalation of nitrous oxide or a placebo treatment, and they took part in the same task-state electroencephalogram (EEG) experiment before and after treatment. The experimental results showed that nitrous oxide improved depressive symptoms better than placebo in terms of 17-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score (HAMD-17). Statistical analysis based on ERP components showed that nitrous oxide-induced significant differences in amplitude and latency of N1, P1, N2, P2. In addition, increased brain functional connectivity was found after nitrous oxide treatment. And the change of network metrics has a significant correlation with decreased depressive symptoms. These findings may suggest that nitrous oxide improves depression symptoms for TRD by modifying brain function.

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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2004 Randomized controlled trial n = 73

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