Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may prove a beneficial treatment for brain trauma.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are devastating brain diseases.

They impact relationships with loved ones and endanger physical health.

This impacts alone make these diseases particularly devastating for people and their loved ones.

Much research has been focused on Dementia and Alzheimer’s in recent years.

According to a recent Israel 21c article titled “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may reverse dementia development,” some promising research may improve treatment in the future.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be beneficial for those developing Alzheimer’s and dementia.

How so?

Researchers in Israel have been conducting studies on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

This treatment utilizes a special chamber with a higher than normal atmospheric pressure.

The patient sits in the chamber and breathes air composed of 100 percent oxygen.

The treatment has been recognized as a safe treatment for a variety of health conditions.

A team in Israel also found hyperbaric oxygen therapy can encourage damaged brain tissue to repair.

The treatment used in the study also promoted growth of nerve cells and blood vessels in the brain.

This specific hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocol used by Tel Aviv University and Shamir Medical Center researchers Prof. Shai Efrati, Prof. Uri Ashery, Dr. Ronit Shapira, Dr. Pablo Blinder, and Dr. Amir Hadanny involved 60 sessions over 90 days.

The researchers evaluated the effects using high-resolution perfusion MRI.

What were the findings?

The subjects showed significant improvement in information processing speed and in attention, as well as a 16.5 percent improvement in memory.

The hyperbaric oxygen therapy also improved cerebral blood flow in elderly patients by between 16 and 23 percent.

This resulted in improving vascular function and decreasing the amount of amyloid plaques present in the brain while also slowing the growth of new amyloid plaques.

The research was published in the Aging journal.

Why is it important to Alzheimer’s?

Amyloid plaques are connected to the Alzheimer’s and other degenerative conditions.

The study was first conducted on animals.

In the second stage, adults with cognitive decline who were over age 65 were included.

According to the researchers it is best to initiate therapy before clinical symptoms develop and before there is a significant loss of brain tissue.

It is believed the hyperbaric oxygen therapy is effective when conditions come from a lack of oxygen to the brain cells known as hypoxia.

All in all this research is very promising.

Do not have ready access to HBOT equipment?

No need to despair!

Aerobic exercise is a proven way to keep the oxygen flowing throughout your body ... to include your brain.

Literally, it is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.

Give it a go and keep me posted on your progress.

Reference: Israel 21c (Sep. 12, 2021) “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may reverse dementia development”