Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of patients with cerebral stroke, brain trauma, and neurologic disease

Abstract

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been used to treat patients with numerous disorders, including stroke. This treatment has been shown to decrease cerebral edema, normalize water content in the brain, decrease the severity of brain infarction, and maintain blood-brain barrier integrity. In addition, HBO therapy attenuates motor deficits, decreases the risks of sequelae, and prevents recurrent cerebral circulatory disorders, thereby leading to improved outcomes and survival. Hyperbaric oxygen also accelerates the regression of atherosclerotic lesions, promotes antioxidant defenses, and suppresses the proliferation of macrophages and foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. Although no medical treatment is available for patients with cerebral palsy, in some studies, HBO therapy has improved the function of damaged cells, attenuated the effects of hypoxia on the neonatal brain, enhanced gross motor function and fine motor control, and alleviated spasticity. In the treatment of patients with migraine, HBO therapy has been shown to reduce intracranial pressure significantly and abort acute attacks of migraine, reduce migraine headache pain, and prevent cluster headache. In studies that investigated the effects of HBO therapy on the damaged brain, the treatment was found to inhibit neuronal death, arrest the progression of radiation-induced neurologic necrosis, improve blood flow in regions affected by chronic neurologic disease as well as aerobic metabolism in brain injury, and accelerate the resolution of clinical symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygen has also been reported to accelerate neurologic recovery after spinal cord injury by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction in the motor cortex and spinal cord, arresting the spread of hemorrhage, reversing hypoxia, and reducing edema. HBO has enhanced wound healing in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. The results of HBO therapy in the treatment of patients with stroke, atherosclerosis, cerebral palsy, intracranial pressure, headache, and brain and spinal cord injury are promising and warrant further investigation.

Conservative treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cervical spondylotic amyotrophy

“…[3][4][5][6][7] HBO therapy has been shown to decrease tissue edema, improve blood flow, and promote oxygen delivery, leading to an increase in the oxygen level in neuronal tissues and enhancement of cellular and metabolic functions. 8 Arterial oxygen pressure and content were increased after HBO treatment, with a 20% improvement of oxygen supply to the ischemic periphery. 19 Increased oxygen supply to the ischemic penumbra may result in improvement of energy failure in compromised tissue and reduce susceptibility to spreading depression.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7] HBO therapy has been shown to decrease tissue edema, improve blood flow and promote oxygen delivery, leading to an increase in the oxygen level in neuronal tissues and enhancement of cellular and metabolic functions. 8 To our knowledge, the effectiveness of conservative treatment with HBO therapy for the management of CSA has not been reported. Herein, we report a small case series of CSA successfully managed by conservative treatment with HBO therapy and review the literature.…”

Hyperbaric Oxygenation in the Treatment of Life-Threatening Isobutyl Nitrite-Induced Methemoglobinemia—A Case Report

“…An additional beneficial effect is the prevention and treatment, respectively, of posthypoxic and/or postischemic cerebral damage (Velkamp et al, 2005;Al-Waili et al, 2005). We used an HBO treatment protocol otherwise applied for severe carbon monoxide intoxication, based on the rationale that nitrous gas inhalation causes a temporary loss of hemoglobin function similar to the one found after CO exposure (Sinkovic et al, 2006).…”

Evaluation of the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for spinal cord lesion in correlation with the moment of intervention

“…This therapeutic approach had positive results in animals 10,11 and humans. [12][13][14] Some of these studies were performed in the supra-segmental nervous system. 15 However, risks were also appointed for such approaches, 16,17 potentially worsening neurological recovery.…”