The Effects of Mild-Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognitive Function and Symptom Relief in a 35-Year-Old Male with Post-Concussive Symptoms Following a Motor Vehicle Accident: A Case Report
This case report examines the impact of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (mHBOT) on cognitive function and symptom relief in a 35-year-old male presenting with concussive symptoms (CS) following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). The patient underwent 10 mHBOT sessions over five weeks (40 minutes per session at 1.5 ATA with 32% oxygen). Post-treatment assessments revealed significant improvements, including an increase in P300 voltage from 4.2 μV to 9.2 μV, aligning with the normative range of 8 - 21 μV. Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis demonstrated enhanced alpha and theta band activity, reflecting improved cognitive processing and attentional regulation. Clinically, the patient reported reduced headache severity, improved sleep quality, and decreased pain intensity. These findings suggest that mHBOT may support neuroplasticity, mitigate inflammation, and restore cognitive function in patients with CS. Further research, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), is warranted to validate mHBOT’s efficacy and explore its long-term benefits in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation.
References
[1]
Barry, R.J., Clarke, A.R., Johnstone, S.J., Magee, C.A. and Rushby, J.A. (2007) EEG Differences between Eyes-Closed and Eyes-Open Resting Conditions. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 2765-2773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2007.07.028
[2]
Bennett, M.H., Trytko, B. and Jonker, B. (2012) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 18, 208-216.
[3]
Bowie, C.R. and Harvey, P.D. (2006) Administration and Interpretation of the Trail Making Test. Nature Protocols, 1, 2277-2281. https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2006.390
[4]
Dang, B., Chen, W., He, W. and Chen, G. (2017) Rehabilitation Treatment and Progress of Traumatic Brain Injury Dysfunction. Neural Plasticity, 2017, Article ID: 1582182. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1582182
[5]
Harch, P.G., Andrews, S.R., Fogarty, E.F., Amen, D., Pezzullo, J.C., Lucarini, J., et al. (2012) A Phase I Study of Low-Pressure Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Blast-Induced Post-Concussion Syndrome and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Neurotrauma, 29, 168-185. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2011.1895
[6]
Kinder, K.T., Buss, A.T. and Tas, A.C. (2022) Tracking Flanker Task Dynamics: Evidence for Continuous Attentional Selectivity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 48, 771-781. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0001023
[7]
Klimesch, W. (1999) EEG Alpha and Theta Oscillations Reflect Cognitive and Memory Performance: A Review and Analysis. Brain Research Reviews, 29, 169-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0173(98)00056-3
[8]
Mckee, A.C. and Daneshvar, D.H. (2015) The Neuropathology of Traumatic Brain Injury. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 127, 45-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-52892-6.00004-0
[9]
Ortega, M.A., Fraile-Martinez, O., García-Montero, C., Callejón-Peláez, E., Sáez, M.A., Álvarez-Mon, M.A., et al. (2021) A General Overview on the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Applications, Mechanisms and Translational Opportunities. Medicina, 57, Article 864. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57090864
[10]
Polich, J. (2020) P300 Clinical Applications: A Review. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, 37, 431-436.
[11]
Qu, C., Xu, M., Lorenzo, S., Huang, P., Rao, Z., Geng, X., et al. (2024) Effects of Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Timing Sequence Recovery of Muscle Fatigue in Chinese University Male Athletes. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 22, 305-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesf.2024.04.005
[12]
Rueda, M. R., Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2004). Attentional control and self-regulation. In: Baumeister, R.F. and Vohs, K.D., Eds., Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications, The Guilford Press, 284-299. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-00163-013
[13]
Shandley, S., Wolf, E., Schubert-Kappan, C.M., et al. (2017) Increased Circulating Stem Cells and Better Cognitive Performance in Traumatic Brain Injury Subjects Following Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 896.
[14]
Smith, E.E., Tenke, C.E., Deldin, P.J., Trivedi, M.H., Weissman, M.M., Auerbach, R.P., et al. (2019) Frontal Theta and Posterior α in Resting EEG: A Critical Examination of Convergent and Discriminant Validity. Psychophysiology, 57, e13483. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13483
[15]
Taylor, C.A., Bell, J.M., Breiding, M.J. and Xu, L. (2017) Traumatic Brain Injury–related Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths—United States, 2007 and 2013. MMWR. Surveillance Summaries, 66, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6609a1
