Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognitive Function on Autistic Spectrum Disordered Children
Description:
Hyperbaric oxygenation chambers are FDA-approved and regulated devices. Hyperbaric
oxygenation therapy (HBOT) is a medical procedure in which participants inspire enriched
oxygen while their bodies are subjected to pressure greater than ambient barometric pressure
at sea level (i.e., greater than 1 atmosphere absolute, or 760 mmHg). Hyperbaric oxygen
therapy elevates tissue oxygen levels, thereby increasing the rate of tissue healing, and
enhancing leukocyte-mediated phagocytosis. It may also elevate growth factors, which promotes
angiogenesis and healing (Siddiqui, Davidson, & Mustoe, 1997).
While HBOT is most often used in wound healing and serious infections, it has been utilized
in treating various disorders, most notably in cerebral palsy (Liptak, 2005; Marois &
Vanasse, 2003) and other conditions, including fetal alcohol syndrome (Stoller, 2005), brain
injury (Rockswold, 1993), and stroke (Helms, 2005) (see Joiner, 2002 for a review). The
rationale for using HBOT in participants with neurological and developmental disorders is to
relieve hypoxia, which often accompany these conditions. This leads to improvements in
microcirculation and relief of cerebral edema by vasoconstriction, therefore leading to
decreases in the symptom characteristics.
HBOT is implemented in various dose pressures (ATA) by practitioners for the treatment of
symptoms of autism, averaging around 1.3-1.5 atmospheres for one hour sessions, for a minimum
of 40 sessions. The results of HBOT are presumed to be long-term, but systematic examination
of both short-term and long-term effects is currently warranted.
Condition:
Cognition
Treatment:
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Start Date:
January 2008
Sponsor:
Pediatric Partners of Ponte Vedra
For More Information:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00631215