NMDA antagonist (anesthetic)
NMDA receptor antagonist (volatile anesthetic)
- General anesthesia and CNS depression
- Volatile anesthetics act partly through this mechanism
- ↓ hippocampal LTP → amnesia
- Also the mechanism by which ethanol blunts NMDA signaling
Drugs with this mechanism (4)
- Desflurane — Volatile anesthetic with rapid on/off; airway irritant.
- Ethanol — Alcohol; CNS depressant acting on GABA-A and NMDA, the most-used intoxicant.
- Isoflurane — Potent, inexpensive volatile anesthetic for maintenance; slower emergence than newer agents.
- Sevoflurane — The most-used inhaled anesthetic; pleasant for mask induction.
Self-check
- How does anesthetic NMDA inhibition contribute to amnesia?
Reduces hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). - Which substance also blunts NMDA signaling through the described anesthetic-site mechanism?
Ethanol.
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