HBOT Conversations:
Dr. Paul Harch & Autism
Dr. Paul G. Harch, M.D. has used hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat more than 100 different conditions, including stroke, dementia, autism, and traumatic brain injury. His goal is to help his patients get their lives back using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
He is the author of The Oxygen Revolution and is considered an International expert and pioneer in the field of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). His informative, and comprehensive guide on HBOT has helped countless souls better understand what HBOT is and how it directly affects the body at the genetic level.
This episode on Autism is the seventh in a nine episode series that will be released weekly with Dr. Harch.
Watch the Podcast
In episode 7 of 9, host Edward di Girolamo speaks with world renowned HBOT expert, Dr. Paul G. Harch about Autism.
The percentage of children with Autism is increasing at an alarming rate. In order to successfully treat Autism and navigate around the roadblocks, Dr. Harch explains that it’s important to understand that Autism is not a psychiatric diagnosis. Autism is a wounding condition of the brain, without all of the potential contributors being identified to the wounding process.
Dr. Harch was the first to treat a series of children with Autism using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy; a therapy which in and of itself is neuroplastic (it is a neuroplast — affecting neuroplasticity). He states that there’s a plethora of information on the fact that Autism is a physical brain abnormality, and that’s what’s causing this Autism phenomenon. Functional imaging scans that have been done on these Autistic children shows 90% of them have a problem involving primarily the temporal lobes and frontal lobes; mostly temporal lobes. Dr. Harch has treated a good series of these children with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and about 80% of them will respond to the treatment. There are various causes, which may explain why 100% don’t respond to HBOT, since there are different insults to the brains and/or it’s environmental. But, Dr. Harch stresses that there’s no such thing as a genetic epidemic, so this Autism epidemic we’re seeing must either be caused by environmental factors or infectious agents.
Dr. Harch affirms that the underlying nature of Autism is that there’s a dominant immune dysfunction in these children that often manifests in the GI tract, but also in the brain. Dr. Harch recommends our viewers read this beautiful article by Dr. Dan Rossignol, a Family Practice Physician with two autistic sons. In the article Dr. Rossignol reviews all of the pathophysiology — the disease processes — that have been identified in Autistic children, and he reviews all of the science of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and the effect it has on all of those disease processes. In the end, HBOT is shown to be a good match for the treatment of Autism.
di Girolamo asks Dr. Harch if Autism appears to be an inflammatory issue, with Dr. Harch agreeing that it does seem to appear that way. Dr. Harch went on to explain that of the 8,1001 genes that have been shown to be affected in human cells by a single Hyperbaric Oxygen exposure, the largest clusters involved are the anti-inflammatory genes — upregulation is turned on and there’s suppression of the pro-inflammatory genes. Plus, there are many genes that are activated within the immune system which also supports the use of HBOT for the treatment of Autism as a dominant immune dysfunction.
The studies have been controversial and complicated on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism. But contrary to the results of these studies, Dr. Harch is here to say that the proof is in the imaging. He has imaging revealing that after only one treatment — sometimes it’s a series of treatments — changes are seen in these children’s brains, and there’s improvement in profusion (such as in the temporal lobes).
Dr. Harch professes that what he’s been trying to do all these years, these decades, is to answer a simple question, “Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy work for your condition or not?” He explains it’s critical to start with HBOT solely and not throw a bunch of other therapies into the mix because then you have too many variables, and you won’t know exactly what’s helping and what’s not. He explains Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a foundation biological therapy, and declares there is no identified therapy out there that can do what Hyperbaric Oxygen can do; including activating 40% of our genome. There’s nothing.
Dr. Harch references Chapter 12 of his book, The Oxygen Revolution, and says “I’m sorry but if your doctor is giving you negative information, flatly ignore him! Go get this therapy for your child!” Treating with HBOT is no different than if you dosed the child with a drug, or a drug combination. This is a two component drug we’re dosing with that’s safe and effective — pressure and oxygen. We encourage you to try it, because it could change your life if you or your child are a part of this 80% success rate.
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Guest
Dr. Paul G. Harch, MD
Dr. Harch initiated and continues to be a private practice that has resulted in the largest case experience in neurological hyperbaric medicine in the world. In this practice, he adapted the concepts of conventional hyperbaric oxygen therapy to wounds in the central nervous system, which spawned the subsequent academic and research practice. Harch HBOT is the best place to receive oxygen therapy treatments, and patients have traveled from more than 50 countries to be treated by Dr. Harch himself.
Harch HBOT – Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinic
5216 Lapalco Blvd.
Marrero, LA
504-309-4948
hbot@hbot.com
https://hbot.com/
Recent HBOT News
Executive summary: The Brain Injury and Mechanism of Action of Hyperbaric Oxygen for Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) (BIMA) Study.
The Brain Injury and Mechanism of Action of Hyperbaric Oxygen for Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) (BIMA) study, sponsored by the Department of Defense and held under an investigational new drug application by the Office of the Army Surgeon General, is one of the largest and most complex clinical trials of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) for post-concussive symptoms (PCS) in U.S. military service members.
Hyperbaric oxygen for mild traumatic brain injury: Design and baseline summary.
The Brain Injury and Mechanisms of Action of Hyperbaric Oxygen for Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) (BIMA) study, sponsored by the Department of Defense, is a randomized double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial that has a longer duration of follow-up and more comprehensive assessment battery compared to recent HBO₂ studies. BIMA randomized 71 participants from September 2012 to May 2014. Primary results are expected in 2017. Randomized military personnel received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) at 1.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA) or sham chamber sessions at 1.2 ATA, air, for 60 minutes daily for 40 sessions. Outcomes include neuropsychological, neuroimaging, neurological, vestibular, autonomic function, electroencephalography, and visual systems evaluated at baseline, immediately following intervention at 13 weeks and six months with self-report symptom and quality of life questionnaires at 12 months, 24 months and 36 months. Characteristics include: median age 33 years (range 21-53); 99% male; 82% Caucasian; 49% diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder; 28% with most recent injury three months to one year prior to enrollment; 32% blast injuries; and 73% multiple injuries. This manuscript describes the study design, outcome assessment battery, and baseline characteristics. Independent of a therapeutic role of HBO₂, results of BIMA will aid understanding of mTBI.
Neuropsychological assessments in a hyperbaric trial of post-concussive symptoms.
Results of studies addressing the effect of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on symptoms and neuropsychological assessments are mixed regarding cognitive deficits in these populations. Neuropsychological assessments were compared between U.S. military service members with mTBI only (n=36) vs. those with mTBI÷ PTSD (n=35) from a randomized interventional study of mTBI participants with persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS). The mTBI group endorsed worse symptoms than published norms on PCS, PTSD and pain scales (⟩50% abnormal on Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), PTSD Checklist-Civilian, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form) and some quality of life domains. Worse symptom reporting was found in the mTBI÷ PTSD group compared to mTBI (e.g., mean NSI total score in mTBI 27.5 (SD=12.7), mTBI÷ PTSD 39.9 (SD=13.6), p⟨0.001). The mTBI÷PTSD group performed worse than mTBI on the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale digit span (mean difference -1.5, 95% CI[-2.9,-0.1], p=0.04) and symbol search (mean difference -1.5, 95% CI[-2.7,-0.2], p=0.03) and Grooved Pegboard (dominant hand mean difference -7.0, 95% CI[-11.5,-2.4], p=0.003; non-dominant mean difference -9.8, 95% CI[-14.9,-4.7], p⟨0.001). Differences were detected in ANAM simple reaction time (p=0.04) and mathematical processing (p=0.03) but not verbal fluency or visuospatial memory assessments. Results indicate increased symptom severity and some cognitive deficits in mTBI÷ PTSD compared to mTBI alone.