Brain Health

Keywords: Cognitive Impairment

Title: Hyperbaric Oxygen Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Publisher: Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions (Print: 2020; 6(1): e12030) (Online: 06/14/2020)

Pressure: 1.2 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 100%

Duration: 40 min

Sessions: 20

Results: In self‐comparison study, one course of hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly improved the cognitive function assessed by MMSE and MoCA in AD patients after 1‐month follow‐up; such treatment also significantly improved MMSE score at 3‐month follow‐up and MoCA score at 1‐ and 3‐month follow‐up in aMCI patients. The ADL scale was significantly improved in AD patients after 1‐ and 3‐month follow‐up. Compared to the control AD patients, the MMSE and MoCA in hyperbaric oxygen treated AD patients were significantly improved after 1‐month follow‐up. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment also ameliorated the reduced brain glucose metabolism in some of the AD and aMCI patients.

Conclusion: Based on previous studies and our recent findings, we propose that hyperbaric oxygen treatment may be a promising alternative therapy for AD and aMCI.

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Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post Concussion Syndrom

Title: Hippocampal cerebral blood flow increased following low-pressure hyperbaric oxygenation in firefighters with mild traumatic brain injury and emotional distress

Publisher: Neurological Sciences Journal (Print: 42, 4131–4138 (2021)) (Online: 02/02/2021)

Pressure: 1.3 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 21% (assumed)

Duration: 45 min

Sessions: 20

Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that low-pressure HBO might increase rCBF of the hippocampal and parahippocampal regions, suggesting a potential underpinning mechanism of HBO in the human brain.

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Keywords: Post Concussion Syndrome, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Title: Low pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy and SPECT brain imaging in the treatment of blast-induced chronic traumatic brain injury (post-concussion syndrome) and post traumatic stress disorder: a case report

Publisher: BioMed Central (Online: 06/09/2009)

Pressure: 1.5 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 100% (assumed)

Duration: unknown

Sessions: 39

Abstract: A 25-year-old male military veteran presented with diagnoses of post concussion syndrome and post traumatic stress disorder three years after loss of consciousness from an explosion in combat. The patient underwent single photon emission computed tomography brain blood flow imaging before and after a block of thirty-nine 1.5 atmospheres absolute hyperbaric oxygen treatments. The patient experienced a permanent marked improvement in his post-concussive symptoms, physical exam findings, and brain blood flow. In addition, he experienced a complete resolution of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. After treatment he became and has remained employed for eight consecutive months. This case suggests a novel treatment for the combined diagnoses of blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Keywords: Post Concussion Syndrome, PTSD

Title: A phase I study of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy for blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder

Publisher: Journal For Neurotrauma (Print: Vol. 29, Issue 1 / Jan. 1, 2012) (Online: 01/12/2012)

Pressure: 1.5 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 21% (assumed)

Duration: 60 min

Sessions: 40

Results: Post-treatment testing demonstrated significant improvement in: symptoms, neurological exam, full-scale IQ (+14.8 points; p<0.001), WMS IV Delayed Memory (p=0.026), WMS-IV Working Memory (p=0.003), Stroop Test (p<0.001), TOVA Impulsivity (p=0.041), TOVA Variability (p=0.045), Grooved Pegboard (p=0.028), PCS symptoms (Rivermead PCSQ: p=0.0002), PTSD symptoms (PCL-M: p<0.001), depression (PHQ-9: p<0.001), anxiety (GAD-7: p=0.007), quality of life (MPQoL: p=0.003), and self-report of percent of normal (p<0.001), SPECT coefficient of variation in all white matter and some gray matter ROIs after the first HBOT, and in half of white matter ROIs after 40 HBOT sessions, and SPECT statistical parametric mapping analysis (diffuse improvements in regional cerebral blood flow after 1 and 40 HBOT sessions). Forty 1.5 ATA HBOT sessions in 1 month was safe in a military cohort with chronic blast-induced PCS and PTSD. Significant improvements occurred in symptoms, abnormal physical exam findings, cognitive testing, and quality-of-life measurements, with concomitant significant improvements in SPECT.

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Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post Concussion Syndrom, PTSD

Title: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Post-Concussion Syndrome: Contradictory Conclusions from a Study Mischaracterized as Sham-Controlled

Publisher: Journal of Neurotrauma (Print: Vol. 30, No.23) (Online: 11/19/2013)

Pressure: various

Oxygen Concentration: various

Duration: various

Sessions: various

Conclusion: The study by Wolf and colleagues is a non-sham/non-placebo/non-controlled Phase II two composite dose study of hyperbaric therapy (hyperbaric air and hyperbaric oxygen) in U.S. veterans with PCS from mTBI with or without PTSD. The study demonstrated significant net improvements in PCS and PTSD symptoms with both doses of hyperbaric therapy, improvements that are similar in magnitude to other therapies for PTSD and greater than would be expected for PTSD and PCS over time without treatment based on the natural history of the diseases and published persistence rates in veterans. Their results are thus comparatively effective to other existing therapies for PTSD and possibly PCS of mTBI.

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Keywords: PTSD

Title: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Veterans With Treatment-resistant PTSD: A Longitudinal Follow-up Study

Publisher: Military Medicine Journal (Online: 11/26/2022)

Pressure: 2.0 ATA (attn. not considered low pressure HBOT*)

Oxygen Concentration: 100%

Duration: 90 min

Sessions: 60

Conclusion: The beneficial clinical effects of HBOT are persistent and were not attenuated at long-term follow-up of about 2 years after completion of HBOT. Additional long-term effects of the treatment were observed in social function and in decreased medication use.

*Note: Please be aware that the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocol used during the original study was not a mild (low pressure) hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocol. We still decided to include this follow-up study in our curated list of mHBOT studies to provide information on the long-term benefits of HBOT for individuals suffering from PTSD. 

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Keywords: Parkinson’s Disease

Title: Mild hyperbaric oxygen inhibits the decrease of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of mice with MPTP-induced Parkinson’s disease

Publisher: Neuroscience Research Journal | ScienceDirect (Print: Volume 132, July 2018, Pages 58-62) (Online: 06/14/2018)

Pressure: 1.3 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 45%

Duration: 180 min

Sessions: 33

Highlights:

• We examined effects of mild hyperbaric oxygen on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of an animal model with Parkinson’s disease.
• Mice injected with MPTP and probenecid were exposed to 1317 hPa with 45% oxygen.
• The decrease in dopaminergic neurons in mice with Parkinson’s disease was inhibited by exposure to mild hyperbaric oxygen.
• Mild hyperbaric oxygen is effective in preventing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

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Keywords: ADD, Mold Exposure

Title: Improvement of Attention Span and Reaction Time with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment in Patients with Toxic Injury due to Mold Exposure

Publisher: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (Print: 2011; 30(1): 1–6) (Online: 10/27/2010)

Pressure: 1.3 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 24% – 34%

Duration: 60 min

Sessions: 10

Results: After ten treatment sessions of mHBOT, the preliminary results showed that the 15 individuals in the study significantly improved in attention span, reaction time, consistency, and an overall D prime score assessed via the TOVA.

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Keywords: Cerebral Palsy

Title: How and Why Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Bring New Hope for Children Suffering from Cerebral Palsy

Publisher: Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Journal (Print: 2014, Vol. 41, No. 2) (Online: 03/01/2014)

Pressure: 1.3 ATA, 1.5 ATA & 1.75 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 21% (ambient air) & 100%

Duration: 60 min

Sessions: 40

Note: The results were astonishing. Not only did authors find that all three hyperbaric oxygen pressures gave significant improvements, but there was no difference between the pressures. More startling to skeptics of lower pressure protocols, the lower pressure protocol did not even use the conventional pure oxygen, and instead only used regular ambient air.

Conclusion: The eight-month-long benefits we have observed with combined treatments vs. rehabilitation can only have been due to a beneficial effect of hyperbaric treatment observed with combined treatments vs. rehabilitation can only have been due to a beneficial effect of hyperbaric treatment.

Note: The results were astonishing. Not only did the authors find that all three hyperbaric oxygen pressures gave significant improvements, but there was no difference between the pressures. More startling to skeptics of lower pressure protocols, the lower pressure protocol did not even use the conventional pure oxygen, and instead only used regular ambient air.

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Keywords: Drowning

Title: Subacute Normobaric Oxygen and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Drowning, Reversal of Brain Volume Loss: a Case Report

Publisher: Medical Gas Research (Print: 2017 Jun 30;7(2):144-149) (Online: 06/30/2017)

Pressure: 1.3 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 21% (ambient air)

Duration: 45 min

Sessions: 40

Conclusion: Short duration normobaric oxygen and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the subacute phase of drowning recovery resulted in video-documented near-complete resolution of severe neurological deficits and near-complete reversal of gray and white matter atrophy on MRI. Hyperoxic and hyperbaric gene signaling-induced growth of both gray and white matter is the most likely explanation.

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Keywords: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Title: Quantification of Neurocognitive Changes Before, During, and After Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in a Case of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Publisher: Pediatrics (Print: 2005 Oct;116(4):e586-91) (Online: 10/01/2005)

Pressure: 1.5 ATA

Oxygen Concentration: 100%

Duration: unknown

Sessions: 40 + 33

Results: After 40 hyperbaric treatments with 100% oxygen at 1.5 atmospheres absolute, the patient’s performance in 6 of 6 categories of the computer-administered test battery improved. Word composite (verbal) scores improved from 55% to 73%, memory composite (visual) scores improved from 38% to 55%, reaction time composites improved from 1.03 to 0.53 seconds, impulse control composite scores improved from 8 to 5, and visual motor speed scores improved from 18.6 to 19.03. The patient’s subjective symptoms diminished 94%.

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