Nitrous Oxide and Functional MRI

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Nitrous Oxide and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate cerebral regional blood flow, cerebral metabolism and neuronal activity.

• IRAS ID

  43507

• Contact name

  Ravi/P Mahajan

• Eudract number

  2009-018181-36

• ISRCTN Number

  n/a

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  n/a

• Research summary

  The aim of this study is to identify the effects of 30% nitrous oxide (laughing gas) on the volume of blood in the brain, and on the usage of oxygen by the brain. Our previous work has demonstrated that inhaling low doses of the anaesthetic gas nitrous oxide (laughing gas) causes blood flow within the brain circulation to increase. This effect may be useful in injured brains, when delivery of oxygen and essential nutrients to brain tissue falls, because damaged blood vessels constrict and blood flow through them is reduced. The mechanism by which nitrous oxide increases blood flow is not entirely clear. To look at blood volume and oxygen usage in the brain a special scan can be performed called Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This scan uses a magnet to enable images of the brain to be seen, which will be undertaken whilst the volunteer is breathing the laughing gas. We hope to show an increase in blood volume without a large increase in oxygen usage by the brain in relation to the volunteer breathing the laughing gas. An increase in blood volume would bring an increase of oxygen and nutrients to brain areas that may be damaged. Increasing the need for oxygen by increasing it's usage would be disadvantageous. We therefore hope to show in healthy volunteers that laughing gas has the advantages shown so far in previous studies in opening up the damaged blood vessels without the disadvantageous effect of doing so because of increase in oxygen requirement by the brain. If this could be shown - the increase in blood volume without significant increase in oxygen usage, then it is possible that nitrous oxide could have marked therapeutic uses.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  10/H0402/3

• Date of REC Opinion

  23 Feb 2010

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion