Effects of Isoflurane and Nitrous Oxide in Subanesthetic Concentrations on Memory and Responsiveness in Volunteers

Cognitive properties of sedation agents: comparison of the effects of nitrous oxide and midazolam on memory and mood

“…24 However, such negligible performance deficits may be due to the reported stimulatory effects of this agent, there having been reports that it can actually stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and may have some characteristics of a CNS stimulant. 25 However, this is not always reported; 26 it is therefore clear that the cognitive consequences of extended nitrous oxide inhalation require further clarification.…”

Inhibition of learning and memory by general anesthetics

“…For example, both isoflurane and nitrous oxide suppressed memory in a dose-dependent manner, although isoflurane was more effective than MAC-equivalent concentrations of nitrous oxide. 59 The intravenous anesthetic, ketamine, administered to human volunteers at sub-anesthetic doses (0.27 mg kg -1 over the first ten minutes then 0.12 mg kg -1 over the next 50 min) reduced memory performance for explicit word recall. At low doses, ketamine interfered primarily with early consolidation of memory, reducing the delayed recall of words presented immediately before but not during infusion of the drug.…”

A method for recording single unit activity in lumbar spinal cord in rats anesthetized with nitrous oxide in a hyperbaric chamber

“…In our laboratory the MAC for N 2 O in rats is 1.7-1.9 atm (Antognini, Lewis et al, 1994;Leduc, Atherley et al, 2006). Thus we used partial pressures that would assure unconsciousness (Dwyer, Bennett et al, 1992) but would permit robust evoked responses to noxious stimulation.…”