Mild or lower pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy (aka m-HBOT) was able to demonstrate a marked reduction in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms in just 11 weeks! PD is a common progressive neurodegenerative disease, of which the main neuropathological hallmark is dopaminergic neuronal loss (degeneration or loss of dopamine-producing neuronal cells). When dopamine-producing neurons die, motor functioning is affected and symptoms such as tremor, slowness, stiffness, and balance problems occur. In this 11 week study, m-HBOT at 1.3 ATA (3 hours per day, 3 times per week) was able to protect the dopaminergic neurons from further loss and degeneration. More importantly, researchers observed positive effects in motor function <view study> Read Less

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> Read Less

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> Read Less

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> Read Less

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> Read Less