Intermittent hyperbaric oxygen therapy is shown to help reduce the cellular and biological aging of the body and effectively help us live longer and more important, healthier. One of the effects seen during the aging process is a decline in cerebral blood flow, causing a reduction in brain oxygen levels. Cognitive and mental performance are effected, particularly in attention and information processing speed. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help combat the decline in cognitive function by supplying the brain with a surplus of oxygen. In addition, the intermittent application of this procedure causes changes in oxygen tensions that promote promote beneficial regulatory protein changes (from the flux in oxygen levels from high to normal). These changes include an increase in SIRT1, HIF-1A, and a reduction in CD28^null senescent T helper and cytotoxic T cells.

• SIRT1 increases mitochondrial biogenesis (energy production) and attenuates telomere length thereby contributing to increased healthy life-span and reducing aging-related diseases.
• CD28^null senescent T helper and cytotoxic T cells are aging-associated biomarkers and lower levels are associated with reduction in aging
• HIF-1A  functions as a master regulator of cellular and systemic homeostatic response to hypoxia (low oxygen) by activating transcription of many genes, including those involved in energy metabolism, angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels and circulation) and much more

As you can see, hyperbaric oxygen therapy produces numerous benefits for helping to counteract the negative effects seen from the aging process <view study> Read Less

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> Read Less

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has clinically been reported to have many benefits within the body, particularly for a wide range of neurological disorders, including spinal cord injuries , brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases (ie,Parkinson's Alzheimer's), neurodevelopment disorders (ie, Cerebral Palsy, Autism), and peripheral nerve injuries. The beneficial effects can largely be attributed to the protective anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects that this procedure promotes. “The evidence presented in this review indicates the potential of HBOT in treatment and prevention of a variety of injuries to the nervous system” <view study> Read Less

The combination of aging and obesity play major factors in the accelerated aging and degeneration of the brain. Commonly seen symptoms are characterized by problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment. In this study, a simple 2 week course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was shown to be effective in restoring cognitive function. The protocol used was 2.0 ATA, 80 minutes daily, for 14 days. The researchers noted that "HBOT restored insulin sensitivity, hippocampal functions, cognition in aging and aging-obese models" in this study done on rats <view study> Read Less

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> Read Less