Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is being utilized for a variety of health conditions, particularly those affecting the aging population. Numerous benefits have been reported, both in clinical research and in outcome studies. This has given way to a further rise in research studies, with the goal to provide more data to help better understand and/or confirm these benefits. This study followed 30 patients, who all underwent a typical course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (60 total sessions at 2.0 ATA), and evaluated the genetic changes that followed the induction of this procedure. In particular, they looked at transcriptome sequencing. By studying transcriptomes, researchers hope to determine when and where genes are turned on or off in various types of cells and tissues Following the 60 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a total of 1912 genes were affected (1342 genes were turned on and 570 genes turned off. This study demonstrates the affects of HBOT on the genetic processes within the body and may further help to explain the many benefits that have been reported from this procedure <view study> Read Less

Tissue concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) are markedly decreased in various regions of the brain in Parkinson patients. Not only is NE involved in cognitive operations, "freezing" of gait, tremor, dyskinesia, REM sleep regulation, and other aspects of brain function, but evidence also suggest its role in the neurodegenerative process itself. This study discusses the ability of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help increase NE levels in the brain; thereby, helping to restore motor deficits in Parkinson’s disease patients <view study> Read Less

The application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a simple and safe one, used by many professional athletes, trainers and their physicians for quicker recovery from injuries and numerous studies support both quicker and stronger tissue recovery with HBOT. With recent advancements in hyperbaric technology and the increase in accessibility of this procedure, many athletes are utilizing and integrating the benefits of HBOT within their training regimens for the enhancement of performance. The studies on improving performance have been inconclusive; mainly due to, the complexity of the biological responses to HBOT, as well as the variations in (1) experimental designs (e.g. exercise intensity and modality, level of oxygen, number of participants), (2) muscles involved (arms and legs) and (3) training status of the participant. It should be noted that HBOT has been granted to be an approved treatment by The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and is being used to improve exercise performance in sports practice. In terms of the use of HBOT for performance enhancement, this study focused on one key variable and that being the "timing of the procedure" (ie, before exercise, during exercise, or after exercise). The systematic review and meta-analysis provided by this study demonstrated that HBOT is most effective in improving muscle endurance performance when administered during exercise (and not before). <view study> Read Less

Most people who have had a significant brain injury will require extensive rehabilitation. They may need to relearn basic skills, such as walking or talking. The goal is to improve their abilities to perform daily activities. In this case study, a 26-year-old male, suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a motor vehicle accident. He was discharged after 8 months and left with significant speech, ambulation, spasticity, and cognitive issues as well as the onset of post-traumatic epilepsy. The family decided to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and the combination of Neurofeedback (NFB) with HBOT "improved plasticity and functionality in the areas of injury and the correlated symptoms including short-term memory, personality, language, and executive function, as well as significantly reducing the incidence of seizures". These results suggest that HBOT combined with NFB may be a viable option in treating severe brain injuries and should be investigated <view study> Read Less

A landmark study published in "Aging" clearly demonstrates the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for skin health and structural integrity for older individuals. More specifically, the application of a 3 month hyperbaric protocol showed "significant aging modulation effects by decreasing senescent cells, inducing angiogenesis and increasing elastic fiber length and stability and collagen density."It should be noted that skin aging is largely influenced by a lack of circulation and higher cell senescence, both of which can be counteracted with a simple course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The hyperbaric protocol comprised of 60 daily sessions, five sessions per week within a three-month period. Each session included breathing 100% oxygen by mask at 2ATA for 90 minutes with five-minute air breaks every 20 minutes. Researches used a combination of skin biopsies and other dermatological markers to document these results on a total of 13 elderly individuals (averaging 68 years of age). <view study>   Read Less