Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy — A novel therapeutic intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease

The Neurobiology of Aging has just published a study supporting the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, they demonstrated the positive impact of HBOT on many of the commonly-found underlying pathologies that are observed in the AD brain. A key focus of this study was on HBOT’s ability to basically halt and reverse the neuro-inflammatory disease progression involved in AD <view study>

Multitasking now made easier with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

We all know how difficult it can be to multitask, whether it’s at work or in the home environment. For some of us, it comes easily and is almost like a natural instinct, while for the majority of us, this simple exercise is one that takes a lot of effort and becomes a continual and constant struggle to perform. The good news is that a new study has just shown us that we can improve both single task and multitask performance through the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

“The study’s findings indicate that even for healthy individuals, oxygen at normal conditions is a limiting factor for brain activity. The ability to perform cognitive and/or motor tasks as a single or a combined task (multitask) was evaluated at a normal air/oxygen environment and at HBO, a hyperbaric oxygen enriched environment. Increasing oxygenation using a HBO environment significantly enhanced both cognitive and motor performance. Significant improvements were found for both single tasks as well as simultaneous multiple tasks” <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Alzheimer’s dementia

This case report followed a 58-year-old woman who had been experiencing cognitive decline for 5 years. After an 8 week course of 40 hyperbaric sessions (1.15 ATA/50 minute sessions), she reported improved memory and concentration, decreased disorientation, less frustration, and her anxiety was gone. These remarkable results were confirmed with brain imaging scans, which showed 6.5-38% improvement in overall brain metabolism <view study>

Stay focused — improve concentration, attention span, and process information quicker with hyperbaric oxygen

Declining cognitive abilities is one of the key concerns for those individuals 60 years and older. Though not limited to this age group, this concern is on the rise and efforts are being made to better understand and treat age-related cognitive impairment. One treatment currently showing great promise is hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

In this study, 63 healthy adults were evaluated with a 3-month course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During this 3 month time period, each subject was given 60 hyperbaric sessions (90 minutes with 5 min air every 20 minutes) at 2.0 ATA.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy “was shown to induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults via mechanisms involving regional changes in CBF. The main improvements include attention, information processing speed, and executive functions, which normally decline with aging”. <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly reverses learning and memory deficits

Learning and memory deficits are quite often send following injuries or degenerative disorders of the brain, but now are increasingly becoming a major concern for our aging population. This study focuses on the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for both of these groups of individuals, particularly the ones with ‘aging’ brains. These beneficial effects were found to be through a combination of positive findings including a reduction in both brain oxidation and inflammation, while also being able to effectively regulate aging-related gene expression. These combined physiological benefits were able to cause a significant reversal in the learning and memory deficits normally observed in aging <view study>

An interesting case of dementia

A 77 year old male went in for a routine knee replacement surgery. Following this procedure, he began to decline in both his physical and mental capacities. The symptoms got progressively worse and about 4 years later, he was evaluated and given a brain imaging (SPECT) scan, and he was immediately given a diagnosis of dementia with major cognitive deficits and aphasia (the loss of ability to understand or express speech). It was determined that the cause of his dementia was a post-op complication from his previous knee surgery and began a course of 40 sessions inside of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. After 5 months, both his physical and cognitive functions were substantially restored. The follow up brain imaging scan confirmed these results. Complications from major (and even minor) operations are not uncommon and sometimes not even diagnosed at the time, and in cases like this, 4 or 5 years after the surgical procedure. This study brings to light the benefits that can be achieved with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, even years after the surgery. <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen increases BDNF — A hot topic in brain regenerative therapies

BDNF is a very powerful protein that is released by your body in the efforts to stimulate the production of brand new brain cells (neurogenesis). This protein is vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking. Moreover, the expression of this protein is significantly reduced in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. With this understanding, research is now pouring in to help us gain a better understanding of BDNF and its role in brain plasticity and regeneration. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been noted for its brain regenerative effects, and this new study supports this notion. Researchers used a lower pressure of 1.5 ATA along with 2.0 ATA, and found that both pressures were able to cause significant increases in BDNF in just 3 to 5 days of consecutive HBOT sessions. “The BDNF concentration increased in a highly significant manner after three consecutive HBO treatments up to 43.94 ng/mL (p < 0.001) and after five HBO treatments up to 51.63 (p < 0.001) when compared to the BDNF concentration after one HBO treatment”. With respect to this study, the purpose was to demonstrate the potential benefits of adding HBOT to cochlear implantation as a promising adjunct treatment for hearing loss. <view study>

Preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy before stroke/TBI to reduce the damage

Currently, there is a great deal of focus and attention being put on hyperbaric oxygen therapy, due to the promising results seen in clinical research and the potential application that this can have for those individuals who have suffered a stroke or TBI. Now, there is strong evidence supporting the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy BEFORE brain trauma or injury, by preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

This study shows that HBOT preconditioning stands as a robust prophylactic treatment for sequestration of inflammation inherent in stroke and TBI. Though we can’t predict when the brain will be under traumatic stress (unless it’s a planned surgical procedure), hyperbaric oxygen may become one of the best ways to protect our brain from future injuries. The following groups of individuals would be the ones that would most likely benefit:

• Athletes and contact sports affect the head

• Patients undergoing planned brain surgery

• High-risk stroke patients

• Those who are at risk for neurodegenerative conditions

• Elderly

The future holds bright for the application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for being part of both the treatment of brain trauma and the prevention of the severity of damage that can subsequently occur <view study>

Research review supports the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

The most common cause of dementia in the elderly is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been reported to have numerous physiological benefits for the brain, particularly for aging or degenerative brain disorders. This review article published in the journal of Alzheimer’s disease (JAD) reviewed 391 full text articles between 1980-2021. The data from these studies showed both neurocognitive benefits along with positive clinical outcome for AD. These results led the authors of this review article to advocate for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for AD. They also encourage future studies to be performed for protocol development, with the goal of long-term cognitive health <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen improves cognitive impairment

A total of 53 patients (42 with Alzheimer’s disease and 11 with mild cognitive impairment) were treated with a 20-day course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Each hyperbaric session consisted of 3 sequential parts; first, 20 minutes of oxygen breathing, followed by 15 minutes of breathing air, and finally 20 minutes of breathing oxygen under pressure at 1.2 ATA.

Results — One course (20 sessions) of hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improved cognition in both Alzheimer's patients and patients with Mild Cognitive impairment, with the latter having more long-term benefits (&gt; 1 month). These results are very promising for Alzheimer's patients and suggest that it is possible that multiple courses might be the solution for giving significantly longer benefits to AD patients. More research is still needed <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps preserve cognitive function in a rat model of mild cognitive impairment

This study found that hyperbaric oxygen treatment has a protective effect on early cognitive function, especially memory in rats with mild cognitive impairment <view study>

Turn back the aging clock — Hyperbaric oxygen therapy REVERSES telomere length, a critical determinant in the aging process

Telomere length serves as a biological clock to determine our lifespan. Every year, our telomeres (the ends of our DNA) get shorter until they finally shorten to a length that leads to our mortality.

Over the past few decades, researchers and drug companies have focused (and invested substantial capital) on this key biological determinant (telomere length) in the hopes of being able to stop and reverse the aging process.

Since many age-related diseases (like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and Alzheimer’s) are also linked to shortened telmeres, it is easy to see why so many drug and nutritional companies have been working hard on finding a cure to stop and reverse the shortening of telomeres.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has already been demonstrated in clinical studies to help the aging population by reducing the signs of aging and age-related diseases. In 2006, a landmark study showed an 800% increase in stem cell mobilization from a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This gave us a much better understanding of the physiological benefits of this procedure in relation to the aging process.

Today we have even more information as a second landmark study has been published on the effects of hyperbaric therapy in regards to telomere length. In this study, a 3 month course of hyperbaric therapy produced a profound increase in telomere length by 20% – 38%. (This is higher than any other intervention currently available). The hyperbaric protocol used to produce these benefits included 60 hyperbaric sessions (each at 90 minute sessions at 2.0 ATA with 3 air breaks).

This exciting new study will surely lead to many more telomere-based studies in the field of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and further help to advance our knowledge of this therapy. View Full Study in the JOURNAL OF AGING

Due to the significance of this study, it has quickly been picked up by many news associations like the following:

• View in the Independent

• View in yahoo news

• View in the telegraph

• View in Aljazeera

• View in Science alert

• View in Neuroscience news

Alzheimer’s disease — researchers find hyperbaric oxygen reduces amyloid plaques and causes large gains in blood flow to the brain

This exciting new study shows that Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBOT) may REVERSE dementia development by preventing the deposit of new amyloid plaques on the brain cells and even leading to the removal of existing ones!

The 2 most common types of dementia are vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is now believed that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can effectively help to halt both of these devastating conditions, while also being able to help reverse the cognitive decline seen in the aging process.

The production of amyloid plaques are a hallmark of AD, consisting of hard, insoluble accumulations of beta amyloid proteins that clump together between the nerve cells and block their communication. Compounding this, is a reduction in oxygen (hypoxia) and reduction in blood flow to these regions inside the brain.

Since the pathophysiology includes both the build up of amyloid plaques and a reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF), the researchers designed this study to deploy a typical course of HBOT and then observe any changes in both amyloid plaque and CBF, while also documenting any clinical improvements. They did this by presenting a 2-fold study, the first being an animal study which was then followed up with a small human study. Both showed extremely promising results and confirmed previous studies for HBOT’s potential role in treating dementia and memory loss.

Initial Animal Study: Mice were exposed to 20 HBOT sessions (2.0 ATA, 60 min) causing a significant:

Reduction in amyloid burden (by reducing the volume of pre-existing plaques and attenuating the formation of new ones).

Improvement in vascular parameters

Improvement in behavior and performance of cognitive-based tasks.

Human follow-up study: Six elderly patients with significant memory loss were treated with 60 HBOT sessions (2.0 ATA, 90 min) and both CBF and cognitive function were evaluated and the results were as follows:

Cerbral Blood Flow — Following HBOT, there were significant CBF increases in several brain areas, including 8 Brodmann areas.

Cognitive function — Cognitive assessment revealed a significant increase in the global cognitive score, where memory, attention and information processing speed domain scores showed most benefits. The improvements in these scores correlated with improved short and working memory.

This study, along with previous studies by these authors, demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be deployed at any stage of the dementia process, from early on with mild cognitive impairment, to advanced stages seen in Alzheimer’s. disease. view study

View media Exclusive: Alzheimer’s could be ‘halted’ using oxygen therapy