Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: bench-to-bedside

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Survivors of TBI are often left with significant cognitive, behavioral, and communicative disabilities. So far there is no effective treatment/intervention in the daily clinical practice for TBI patients. The protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) have been proved in stroke; however, its efficiency in TBI remains controversial. In this review, we will summarize the results of HBOT in experimental and clinical TBI, elaborate the mechanisms, and bring out our current understanding and opinions for future studies.

<p>Hyperbaric oxygen therapy attenuates neuronal apoptosis induced by traumatic brain injury via Akt/GSK3&beta;/&beta;-catenin pathway</p>

“…As a nondrug and noninvasive treatment, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been used as a treatment for TBI since 1960s 4. However, the efficiency of HBO therapy remains extremely controversial 5–7. Several studies have reported that HBO therapy improved the neurological deficits and cognitive impairments of patients in the acute phase of severe TBI 8,9.…”

Beneficial effect of β-elemene alone and in combination with hyperbaric oxygen in traumatic brain injury by inflammatory pathway

“…Hyperbaric oxygen therapy used for the management of TBI and it reported to posses neuroprotective effect by acting on inflammatory pathway [ 11 ]. There is several limitations of this therapy that precise the use of HO in TBI.…”

Molecular and Therapeutic Aspects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Neurological Conditions

“…Complications from TBI can occur even years after the injury, such as post-concussion syndrome, in which severe headaches and other symptoms appear [11]. Hypoxia and TBI are strongly tied when cerebral blood vessels are damaged, hence HBOT has been extensively studied as a potential treatment for TBI [134][135][136].…”