• Brett L Foster and David T J Liley.
• Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5235, United States. blfoster@stanford.edu
• Clin Neurophysiol. 2013 Feb 1;124(2):417-23.

ObjectiveTo quantify the effects of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) gas on electroencephalogram (EEG) topography in healthy male participants.MethodsHealthy male participants were administered 20% (n=8) or 40% (n=8) N(2)O while having high-density (modified 10-20) noise minimized EEG recordings.ResultsNitrous oxide was found to produce clear reductions in resting total power, particularly at frontal-vertex sites. These reductions were found to principally reflect reductions in band-limited delta power. Following the termination of N(2)O inhalation, during N(2)O washout, selective increases in frontal theta power were observed that increased above baseline values.ConclusionsNitrous oxide does not produce the classical anteriorization of slow wave activity typically seen during anesthetic induction. Instead N(2)O reduces frontal slow wave (delta) activity, which during gas washout produces a withdrawal response of enhanced frontal slow wave (theta) activity.SignificanceAttempts to characterize a unitary mechanism of loss of consciousness during anesthesia on the basis of the topographic electroencephalographic changes is challenged by the distinct EEG effects that N(2)O has when compared to other well known anesthetic agents that include propofol and sevoflurane.Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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