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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Hyperbaric Treatment in Oxygen Chamber Brings Stroke Damaged Brains to Life

Tenfold increase in oxygen levels during HBOT treatment supplies the necessary energy for rebuilding neuronal connections and stimulating inactive neurons

Jan. 23, 2013 - Stroke, traumatic injury, and metabolic disorder are major causes of brain damage and permanent disabilities, including motor dysfunction, psychological disorders, memory loss, and more. Most therapy and rehab has limited success. There is new hope from Tel Aviv University, however, where researchers say they have been able to restore a significant amount of neurological function in brain tissue thought to be chronically damaged even years after the initial damage.

Now Dr. Shai Efrati of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine has found a way to restore a significant amount of neurological function in brain tissue thought to be chronically damaged even years after initial injury.

Theorizing that high levels of oxygen could reinvigorate dormant neurons, Shai Efrati of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and his fellow researchers, including Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of TAU's School of Physics and Astronomy and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, recruited post-stroke patients for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) sessions in high pressure chambers that contain oxygen-rich air which increases oxygen levels in the body tenfold.

Analysis of brain imaging showed significantly increased neuronal activity after a two-month period of HBOT treatment compared to control periods of non-treatment, reported Dr. Efrati in PLoS ONE. Patients experienced improvements such as a reversal of paralysis, increased sensation, and renewed use of language. These changes can make a world of difference in daily life, helping patients recover their independence and complete tasks such as bathing, cooking, climbing stairs, or reading a book.

Oxygen breathes new life into neurons

According to Dr. Efrati, there are several degrees of brain injury. Neurons impacted by metabolic dysfunction have the energy to stay alive, but not enough to fire electric signals, he explains. HBOT aims to increase the supply of energy to these cells.

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Hyperbaric Treatment in Oxygen Chamber Brings Stroke Damaged Brains to Life