Spinal cord motoneuron excitability during isoflurane and nitrous oxide anesthesia

Background Recent evidence suggests that the spinal cord is an important site of anesthesia that is necessary for surgical immobility, hut the specific effect of anesthetics within the spinal cord is unclear. This study assessed the effect of isoflurane and nitrous oxide on spinal motoneuron excitability by monitoring the H-reflex and the F wave. Methods Eight adult patients, categorized as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 or 2, who were undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery were anesthetized with 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 times the estimated minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane, Nitrous oxide was added in graded concentrations of 30%, 50%, and 70%, whereas the isoflurane concentration was decreased to maintain a total MAC of 1. The H-reflex of the soleus muscle and the F wave of the abductor hallucis muscle were measured before anesthesia and 15 min after each change of anesthetic concentration. Four or more trials of the H-reflex and 18 trials of the F wave were recorded at each concentration of anesthesia The effect of the anesthetics on the H-reflex and F wave was analyzed using Dunnett's test. Results: H-reflex; amplitude was decreased to 48.4 +/- 18.6% of preanesthesia level at 0.6 MAC isoflurane and to 33.8 +/- 19.1% when isoflurane concentration increased from 0.6 MAC to 1.2 MAC. F wave amplitude and persistence decreased to 52.2 +/- 33.6% and 44.4 +/- 26% of baseline at 0.6 MAC isoflurane, and to 33.8 +/- 26% and 21.7 +/- 22.8% at 1.2 MAC isoflurane. Isoflurane plus nitrous oxide (total 1 MAC) decreased H-reflex amplitude to 30.4-33.3% and decreased F wave persistence to 42.8-56.3% of baseline. Conclusions: Both isoflurane alone and isoflurane plus nitrous oxide decrease H-reflex and F wave amplitude and F-wave persistence. These effects suggest that isoflurane and nitrous oxide decrease motoneuronal excitability in the human spinal cord. This may play an important role in producing surgical immobility.