Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviate the death of brain cells and improve brain function in stroke victims?

The two most common neurodegenerative diseases in the United States are traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke. According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. It’s a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain occurring when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts/ruptures.

A recent review article called “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A new look on treating stroke and traumatic brain injury” published by the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, reported the research in hyperbaric oxygen’s ability to diminish any potential damage by treating the inflammation (swelling) in stroke and TBI.

Since the primary pathology of stroke is a lack of tissue oxygenation, it suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s main mechanisms for healing - supersaturating the body with 100 percent oxygen under pressure to get to the places in the body devoid or lacking oxygen (such as a hemorrhagic stroke brain) - would be beneficial to improvement and strengthening the blood-brain barrier that gets damaged during a stroke event. This compromise to the barrier causes increased inflammation which deprives the brain of needed oxygen and causes neurodegeneration to accelerate.

Stroke patients may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy by its ability to:

• Decrease swelling in the brain slowing or stopping subsequent neurodegeneration to happen post stroke event.

• Increase neuronal cell activity by delivering needed oxygen (energy) to the oxygen-deprived or devoid areas of the brain.

• Stabilize the blood-brain barrier by limiting mitochondrial* dysfunction and increasing the transfer of healthy mitochondria. Mitochrondrial dysfunction, researchers said in a 2018 article titled “Mitochondrial targeting as a novel therapy for stroke,” has been “discovered to play a role in the neural damage that results from an ischemic event. There is evidence that transferring healthy mitochondria from stem cells to replace ischemic-injured cells is a viable method for treating damaged cells.”

• Maintain viable cells - showing hyperbaric oxygen therapy as safe and effective.

*Mitochondria are tiny organelles (miniature organs within the cells) Considered the powerhouses of the cells, they produce energy from the food we eat for the cells to use and are vital for our survival. They also cause cell death (apoptosis) by activating an enzyme that destroys cells that are old or broken and perform other essential tasks.

Other studies have had promising results. Led by Dr. Shai Efrati, medical researchers in Tel Aviv, as reported in Science Daily in January 2013, were able to see significant amount of neurological function in brain tissue thought to be chronically damaged by stroke and traumatic injury. Their baseline was an evaluation of the anatomical features and functionality of the brain of post-stroke patients using a combination of CT scans to identify necrotic tissue and SPECT scans to determine the metabolic activity level of the neurons surrounding damaged areas. After undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatments, brain function was improved by helping neurons strengthen and build new connections in damaged parts of the brain.

HyOx is an advocate for continuing research in this arena as currently insurances do not cover this possibly beneficial treatment. Call HyOx at 678-303-3200 if you have questions regarding the potential therapeutic effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke patients.