Abstract:
Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy helps alleviate secondary injury following brain trauma [traumatic brain injury (TBI)], although the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we assessed recovery of post-TBI spatial learning and memory in rats using the Morris water maze (MWM) and measured changes in apparent diffusion coefficient in the hippocampus by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to evaluate possible therapeutic effects of HBO on TBI-associated brain edema. DWIs were obtained 8, 24, 48 h, 7 days, and 14 days post-TBI. Daily HBO therapy significantly improved post-TBI MWM performance and reduced edema in the ipsilateral hippocampus, suggesting that the therapeutic efficacy of HBO is mediated, at least in part, by a reduction in brain edema.
Liu, Liu, Deng, Guo, Wang, Shen, , , (2015). Beneficial effects of hyperbaric oxygen on edema in rat hippocampus following traumatic brain injury. Experimental brain research, 2015 Dec;233(12):3359-65. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26267487