Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Spinal Cord Injury
James K. Wright, MD, Col, USAF (Ret)
Introduction
This presentation is about hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and its utility in treating traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and spinal cord injury (SCI). Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) is the delivery of 100% oxygen to a person in a pressurized chamber and is used as a treatment for certain diseases and conditions. Oxygen levels 7 to 14 times that achieved by breathing room air are possible. The therapy affects more than 8100 known human genes and thousands of cellular processes[i] and is effective in treating a variety of conditions from neurologic injury to chronic wounds. At the end of the discussion, I will present some recommendations of how HBOT can be used to treat veterans with TBI, PTSD, and SCI.
[i] Rink C, Roy S, Khan M, Ananth P, Kuppusamy P, Sen CK, Khanna S. Oxygen-sensitive outcomes and gene expression in acute ischemic stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2010 Feb 10.