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>

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>

Benefits from hyperbaric pressure alone!

This study looked at both pressure and oxygen and their effects on genetic expression. 183 genes were identified that were significantly altered through pressure and/or oxygen. Fascinatingly, more genes were altered in response to hyperbaric air than HBOT. This study supports the notion that pressure has the greatest effect (more than oxygen), when relating to hyperbaric oxygen therapy <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy helps 2 year old make a full recovery

A Near Drowning accident left this 2 year old girl in critical condition. After being intensively treated in the hospital, she was finally discharged 35 days following the accident, but still unresponsive to all stimuli. Fortunately, she was able to have access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy and began a series of 40 sessions over 38 days (a total of 78 days following the near drowning). Her recovery was immediate, and the MRI that was previously taken before being discharged from the hospital was nearly completely reversed following the short course of hyperbaric therapy. Most notably for hyperbaric physicians was the dosage of oxygen that was used to achieve these remarkable results.Each session consisted of 45 minutes at 1.3 ATA (mild hyperbaric therapy — mHBOT). Not only was the pressure a lower pressure protocol, but there was no other breathing apparatus used in the treatment, just regular air breathing. This case report is consistent with many others who have had ‘miraculous recovery’ following hyperbaric oxygen therapy. However, this particular case is an excellent one to give the hyperbaric community a wake up and clearly demonstrates the power of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The powerful reversal of severe brain damage demonstrates the effectiveness of mHBOT, as seen in this case (New York Post release)

“The brain is very sensitive to even slight changes in oxygen tension and this is one key reason why so many neurological conditions are positively affected by m-HBOT.”

Another key factor for this girl’s quick and nearly complete recovery is that she had quick access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy (within 3 months). Timing is everything and generally speaking, the quicker the access, the better the outcome, particularly if this procedure is applied within the first 2 years following brain trauma. Longer courses of hyperbaric therapy may need to be applied for injuries that have exceeded 2 years, as hyperbaric oxygen therapy is gaining widespread publicity for its neurological regenerative effects and stem cell release. The end result of “new brain tissue” now gives new hope for both recent and long-term brain injury survivors <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury

This study reviews the effectiveness for applying HBOT for TBI, and makes a strong argument for both the early application, and also for delayed treatments, with the common variable being multiple sessions at low atmospheric pressure. This dosage would reduce intracranial pressure, improve mortality, as well as promote neurobehavioral recovery <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>

Brain Recovery … Oxygen tensions directly affect the growth of stem cells (neural crest)

The neural crest is an ideal source for multipotent adult stem cells. The results of this study “show for the first time that extreme oxygen tensions directly control NCSC proliferation” <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy protects the brain & positively impacts Cystain C levels

Cystatin C is a bio marker that is becoming a hot topic in neurology, particularly in its ability to predict new-onset or deteriorating cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy produces helps to protect the brain (neuroprotection), while positively improving the levels of Cystatin C during injury. They published these findings in the journal of “Stroke” 2017 <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen helps lower blood sugars

Blood sugar control can be extremely difficult for diabetics and is the main reason why they are at higher risk factors for both strokes and heart attacks. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been known to help sensitize insulin levels and thereby help to reduce blood sugar levels. In this study, they took 52 diabetic patients who had just recently had a stroke within the past month and divided them into 2 groups — those who had a stroke within 10 days and those who had their stroke within 30 days. They then gave both groups a series of of hyperbaric oxygen treatments and followed (pre and post) their insulin levels, fasting blood sugars, and hemoglobin A1C levels (which shows longer-term blood sugar control). Both of these groups were able to demonstrate significant improvements in blood sugars with the addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. <view study>

Functional MRI Imaging confirms long-term stroke patients can improve with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, even 15 years after the stroke

Management of chronic strokes remains a challenge within our current medical system, yet the intervention of hyperbaric oxygen therapy has consistently been shown to improve stroke recovery, even years after the brain insult.

This study followed 4 patients (from 14 months to 15 years post stroke) who were given a typical 8 week hyperbaric protocol consisting of 40 individual sessions (at an effective dosage of 1.8 ATA) and evaluated the outcome measures through functional MRI imaging (fMRI). Note, fMRI is a non invasive, robust and reliable technique to assess and monitor neuronal functional change. The results were very impressive and should give encouragement for this protocol to be more widely used within the stroke recovery community. Here is a summary of all 4 patients along with the details regarding their recovery:

60 year old male (14 month old stroke) with severe, non-fluent aphasia, associated with retained comprehension, dyslexia and dysgraphia, a right upper limb spastic paralysis and a right lower limb paresis, and post-stroke depression.

Results — Aphasia and the ability to speak improved noticeably, helping to regain some social life. Accordingly, the negative attitude was replaced by positivity, good mood and interest. Right lower limb paresis improved with better gait and stance. However, the right hand paralysis did not improve, except for a decrease in spasticity.

68 year old male (5 year old stroke with moderate signs of dysarthria (he sounded clumsy in reading aloud short passages), an unsteady, wide-base gait and dysphagia

Results — A marked clinical improvement in the language fluency, such that he was able to read aloud a written text, without a hitch. Ataxia and dysphagia improved as well

48 year old male (15 year old stroke) with recurrent seizures, mild signs of dysarthria, upper left limb paralysis, lower left limb paresis, lack of coordination in the right limbs, severe in the lower right extremity and to a lesser extent in the upper right extremity

Results — He dramatically improved his speech fluency. The left lower limb paresis improved together with an increase in walking autonomy, but he was still unable to flex and extend the left foot rhythmically. Also the right limbs coordination improved. On the contrary, the left upper limb paralysis did not change at all.

34 year old male (17 month old stroke) with global non fluent aphasia with some deficits in the reading comprehension, a complete spastic hemiplegia of the right upper limb with spastic hypertonia, a partial paresis of the right inferior limb (but he was able to walk with some walking aids) and right hemilateral hypoaesthesia

Results — Good improvement in the common everyday acts of his life, as speaking and understanding and also in walking, but not in his upper limb paralysis

Once again, it is important to keep in mind that fMRI imagining confirmed these benefits and can play a future role in determining hyperbaric-based protocols for chronic stroke sufferers <view study>

HBOT for Brain Tumors

A new study just published on Feb 2011 in the journal of cancer makes a strong argument for applying hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) for those patients who have had either surgery or radiation therapy for brain tumors. The study followed patients who had been treated with HBOT and there was a marked improvement in cognitive function which was supported and documented by standard neuropsychological testing <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>

New brain tissue growth occurs from long course of hyperbaric oxygen

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is widely used as an effective off-label use for stroke victims. Research has found that this therapy not only targets oxygenation of the affected area and reduces inflammation, but also has been shown to promote bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to proliferate and mobilize, which essentially becomes an important part of the neurogenic (nervous system growth) effects that have been demonstrated from hyperbaric procedures. Mobilization of these BMSCs to the damaged areas was more improved in long course hyperbaric treatments, suggesting the duration of therapy is crucial for promoting their neurogenic effects.

It is important to also note that emerging stem cell research has clearly demonstrated that BMSCs secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the addition of anti-BDNF neutralizing antibodies to MSC-conditioned medium attenuated its neuroprotective effect <view study>

<p>This study also looked at the release of BDNF and found that a 3-week course of HBOT was able to produce significantly higher levels of BDNF and GDNF, than a shorter 2-day course of HBO. These results indicated that longer and repetitive HBO therapy promoted more neurotrophic factor production, including BDNF and GDNF. <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen protects the brain and the heart — a necessity for today’s society

With the growing incidence of strokes and heart attacks, medical disabilities for these, and other age-related conditions, are on the rise. Preconditioning the body and its vital organs may be of critical importance for today’s aging and disease-ridden society.

This new study looked at preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and showed that it reduced postoperative cognitive dysfunction. More specifically, they reported, “Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning has proved to protect vital organs, such as the heart, liver, and brain. … We conclude that hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning is an effective and feasible method to prevent, alleviate, and improve postoperative cognitive dysfunction and that its mechanism of action is very complex, involving the stimulation of endogenous antioxidant and anti-inflammation defense systems.” <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen promotes Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is the growth and development of the nervous system with new neurons. This process has been shown to be significantly enhanced through the application of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, particularly following trauma to the brain or central nervous system. A recent article titled “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes neurogenesis: where do we stand?” has just been published. In this article, proposed physiological mechanisms of action are looked at, in a way to gain better understanding of oxygen’s role in neurogenesis <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps the damaged brain

This study looked at physiological changes that occurred in the brain with the application of hyperbaric therapy following traumatic brain injury. They noticed an improvement in the blood-brain barrier, a reduction in inflammation and inflammatory proteins, a reduction in both swelling and the size of the damage, and more importantly an improvement in neurological status including motor and cognitive function <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A new look on treating stroke and traumatic brain injury

“This study demonstrated the ability of HBOT preconditioning as a treatment for inflammation in stroke and TBI, and reducing neuronal cell death”

Hyperbaric Oxygen shows benefits for TBI victims, even up to 5 years after the event

This was one of the first trials that produced sound research to support the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for TBI sufferers. Much more importantly, they were able to demonstrate positive outcomes with this procedure, even 5 years after the accidents or traumas. The protocol used was a lower dose of only 1.5 ATA, but was repeated 5 days per week for a total of 8 weeks (40 hour protocol). Due to the late onset of the 40 hour hyperbaric protocol, researchers were able to conclude that “HBOT can induce neuroplasticity (new brain tissue) leading to repair of chronically impaired brain functions and improved quality of life in mTBI patients with prolonged PCS at late chronic stage” <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen helps to Protect the Brain following Brain Trauma (TBI)

Researchers Concluded: “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy protects the neurons after traumatic injury, possibly through inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway” <view study>