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Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment For Dementia

Hbot Improves The Performance Of 5xfad Mice In Behavioral Tasks

Dementia: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Finally, we explored if the mitigating effects of HBO treatment on AD pathology are associated with an improvement in the performance of 5XFAD mice in behavioral tasks. We found that HBO-treated 5XFAD mice showed improved nest construction abilities, given how they built nests with higher walls and attained higher nest scores . Moreover, the treated mice showed improved exploratory behavior, as compared to control 5XFAD mice .

Spatial recognition memory was investigated by testing the natural preference of mice for exploring novel over familiar spatial contexts in a Y-maze test . Control 5XFAD mice showed a decreased time index in this assay, as compared to their wt littermates , HBOT significantly reversed this trend . We then tested the effect of HBOT on hippocampus-dependent contextual memory by performing trace fear conditioning . Control 5XFAD mice showed impaired contextual memory, relative to their wt littermates, as reflected by lower freezing activity in the training chamber 24 h following conditioning . Interestingly, this impairment was recovered in HBO-treated 5XFAD mice .

Taken together, these results suggest that HBOT ameliorated the performances of 5XFAD mice in memory and behavioral tasks.

What Is Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimerâs disease is not a normal part of aging, though it typically doesnât affect patients until after the age of 65. Those that experience it earlier in life receive a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimerâs. In the early stages, memory loss is very mild, often brushed aside as simple aging. As the disease progresses, patients lose the ability to engage in normal conversation.

Researchers believe that Alzheimerâs disease is the result of damage to brain cells, with the main culprits being plaques and tangles. Plaques are deposits of beta-amyloid fragments that build up and cluster together between nerve cells. Tangles are twisted fibers of the protein tau and build up inside cells. These plaques and tangles begin in the memory section of the brain and continue to spread. Researchers believe that these plaques and tangles disrupt normal communication in the nerve cells. This leads to cell death and the loss of memory function in the brain. There is no cure for Alzheimerâs as well as no current treatment available to help slow the progression.

Hbot Reduces Abnormal Processing Of Amyloid Precursor Protein And Increases Levels Of A Degradation And Clearance

To understand the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the observed reduction in amyloid burden, we next assessed key proteins involved in amyloid precursor protein processing, and A degradation and clearance. First, levels of the -secretase-cleaved C-terminal fragment of APP and the -secretase-cleaved C-terminal fragment of APP were measured . HBO treatment significantly reduced C99 levels in 5XFAD mice and induced no change in levels of the C83 fragment in 5XFAD mice , suggesting that HBOT reduced -secretase -mediated cleavage of APP. Indeed, BACE1 levels were found to be reduced in the HBO-treated mice . As we previously showed with the 3xTg mouse model , the levels of full-length APP were also unchanged upon HBO treatment of 5XFAD mice , whereas the levels of the -secretase ADAM10 were reduced by HBOT . In addition, while the levels of presenilin 1 , a component of the -secretase complex, were also significantly reduced in 5XFAD mice following HBOT , no changes were found in the levels of nicastrin, another component of the -secretase complex .

HBOT has been shown to affect microglial function and increase A clearance, thus contributing to neuroprotection . Analysis of plaque-associated microglia showed that following HBOT, the number of microglia per plaque increased, suggesting that HBOT induced microglial recruitment to the plaques, possibly supporting plaque degradation .

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Study On Animals Genetically Engineered To Develop Alzheimer And A Group Of Subjects Over 65 With Memory Decline Showed Improved Vascular Function

A research team in Israel has succeeded in reversing brain trauma using hyperbaric oxygen therapy . This is the first time in the scientific world that non-drug therapy has been proven effective in preventing the core biological processes responsible for the development of Alzheimers disease.

HBOT involves having patients sit in a special chamber where the atmospheric pressure is much higher than normal, breathing air composed of 100 percent oxygen. This form of therapy is considered safe for treating many medical conditions, and can induce the repair of damaged brain tissue and renewed growth of blood vessels and nerve cells in the brain.

A specific HBOT protocol devised by Tel Aviv University and Shamir Medical Center researchers Prof. Shai Efrati, Prof. Uri Ashery, Dr. Ronit Shapira, Dr. Pablo Blinder and Dr. Amir Hadanny resulted in cerebral blood flow improving in elderly patients by 16-23%, alleviating vascular dysfunction, reducing the volume of pre-existing amyloid plaques and slowing the formation of new ones. These protein plaques are linked to severe degenerative conditions such as Alzheimers.

Their findings were published in the journal Aging.

The study, part of a comprehensive research program that looks at aging and accompanying ailments as a reversible disease, could lead to a new strategic approach to preventing Alzheimerâs.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Alzheimer’s Prevention

Hyperbaric Chamber for Dementia Treatment

Megan Brooks

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases cerebral blood flow and improves cognitive performance in older adults with memory problems, early research suggests.

“By treating vascular dysfunction, we’re mapping out the path toward Alzheimer’s prevention,” study investigator Shai Efrati, MD, with the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel, said in a statement.

“More research is underway to further demonstrate how HBOT can improve cognitive function and become an influential tool in the imperative fight against the disease,” said Efrati, who heads the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel.

The study was September 9 in the journal Aging.

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In Another Study Published In 2020

Researchers found that one course of hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly improved the cognitive function in AD patients and also ameliorated the reduced brain glucose metabolism found in some patients. The writers suggested that hyperbaric oxygen is beneficial in reducing the hypoxia which could be a potential contributor to the pathogenesis of AD. Therapeutics like hyperbaric oxygen treatment improve tissue oxygen supply and ameliorates hypoxic conditions in the brain, which is key in alleviating the symptoms seen in Alzheimers and dementia.

What Is Dementia And What Are The Effects Of Dementia

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, is characterized by symptoms of memory loss, lessened ability to reason or make decisions, forgetfulness, reduction of time management skills, depression, and anxiety. These symptoms may stay the same for several years or may progress quickly. When they progress to the point of global cognitive impairment MCI becomes dementia. Dementia, but the risk is higher. The symptoms of dementia are the same as MCI but are more severe and can also include more serious vision problems, trouble speaking or reading, social withdrawal, and intense mood swings. These symptoms are not only difficult for the patient, but also for family members and friends.

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Alzheimers Disease And Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

It is estimated that approximately six million Americans are living with Alzheimers disease. According to the National Institute of Health , Alzheimers disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Furthermore, the NIH currently ranks Alzheimers disease as the sixth leading cause of death in the US, and a cure is yet to be discovered. So, how does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy help?

HBOT introduces pure oxygen into the lungs under pressure. This increased amount of oxygen promotes healing in damaged tissue. HBOT can be used to treat wounds and is particularly effective in reducing inflammation. We know already that HBOT yields positive results in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, but what about Alzheimers?

The Study Which Combined The Use Of Hbot In The Treatment Of Animals Genetically Engineered To Develop Alzheimers And A Group Of Individuals Over The Age Of 65 Who Were Already Having Memory Loss

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps Dementia!

For the first time, a non-pharmaceutical clinical trial has proven effective in reversing the main activators of Alzheimers disease, according to Tel Aviv Universitys Prof. Shai Efrati, whose study on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve brain function was Thursday in the peer-reviewed medical journal Aging.

The study, which combined use of HBOT in the treatment of animals genetically engineered to develop Alzheimers and a group of individuals over the age of 65 who were already experiencing memory decline the stage before Alzheimers yielded several positive results. These included improvement in vascular function, of blood flow to the brain, memory capacity, attention and information processing speed, as well as a drop in brain amyloid load.

Amyloids are non-soluble proteins. Amyloid beta deposits in the brains blood vessel walls are the most common vascular pathology in Alzheimers.

The therapy triggers our body to do the repairs that are needed to reverse the process that culminates in Alzheimers disease, Efrati told The Jerusalem Post.

A press release by Tel Aviv University explained, Hyperbaric medicine is a form of therapy that requires patients to be kept in special chambers in which the atmospheric pressure is much higher than that normally experienced at sea level. In addition, they breathe air composed of 100% oxygen.

The effects of the therapy on the brain were evaluated using a high-resolution perfusion MRI.

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What Are The Mechanisms Behind Hbot Dementia Treatments

While the traditional treatments for Alzheimers disease and dementia revolve around pharmaceutical solutions and providing a safer environment for the patient, the simple fact is that they have had limited therapeutic benefits and really cant do much to hinder the progression of the disease.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, on the other hand, works by delivering 100% oxygen to places in the body that may be starved of it.

Why does this matter?

Because some studies have suggested that hypoxia an oxygen deficiency could be an important environmental factor that might contribute to the progression or development of Alzheimers disease or dementia. HBOT addresses this directly by sending pure oxygen where it is needed most.

On top of that, HBOT may have an impact on some of the pathological processes of dementia because it has been shown to impact microcirculation, mitochondrial disfunction, and more. We have also seen that hyperbaric therapy is capable contributing to the repair of damaged brain tissue and stimulating the growth of blood vessels and nerve cells in the brain.

Why Did This Happen

In general, HBOT enhances clinical effects because breathing 100% oxygen under high pressure enables oxygen to diffuse into the bloods plasma. Oxygen-rich blood is then able to travel past areas where blood flow is restricted and diffuses to tissues which were deprived.

Supplying around 10-15 times the normal amount of oxygenhelps the body repair damaged tissue by increasing tissue oxygenation andrestoring blood flow to the affected area through the formation of newcapillary networks.

While HBOT as a treatment for vascular dementia will require further research, it shows encouraging signs that it will emerge as an effective treatment for this condition.

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How Was The Study Conducted

The TAU study began by looking at animal models, and they were quickly able to show by examining the brain tissues that certain HBOT protocols could improve the vascular functioning and create new blood vessels.

It also prevented deposits of new amyloid plaques on the brain cells and even removed some existing plaque deposits.

This was an important discovery because these types of proteins in the brain have been connected to degenerative conditions .

After this first stage of research, the study moved on to look at the effects of HBOT treatments for people who were over 65 years of age and experiencing some type of cognitive decline .

Patients received 60 HBOT sessions over 3 months and then the effects were evaluated with a high-resolution perfusion MRI.

The results indicated that blood flow increased 16% to 23%, significant memory improvements were observed, and attention and information processing speed also seemed to increase.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Alzheimers Dementia

What is HBOT

This case report followed a 58-year-old woman who had been experiencing cognitive decline for 5 years. After an 8 week course of 40 hyperbaric sessions , she reported improved memory and concentration, decreased disorientation, less frustration, and her anxiety was gone. These remarkable results were confirmed with brain imaging scans, which showed 6.5-38% improvement in overall brain metabolism < view study>

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Alleviates Vascular Dysfunction And Amyloid Burden In An Alzheimers Disease Mouse Model And In Elderly Patients

Ronit Shapira1,, Amos Gdalyahu1,, Irit Gottfried1,, Efrat Sasson4,, Amir Hadanny4,, Shai Efrati2,3,4,, Pablo Blinder1,2,, Uri Ashery1,2,,

  • 1 School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
  • 2 Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
  • 3 Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
  • 4 Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Beer Yaakov, Israel

Received: March 4, 2021 Accepted: August 10, 2021 Published: September 9, 2021

this citation from the text box above or download the citation:Citation |Citation & Abstract

Copyright: © 2021 Shapira et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Of Dementia Case Study

Mr. Earl was a 72 year old man facing institutionalization after the death of his wife. Unbeknownst to the extended family irascible Mr. Earl wasnt much different from the way they had come to accept him after decades of smoking, drinking, brawling, traumatic brain injuries, and an episode of carbon monoxide poisoning. After the death of his wife it became obvious that Mr. Earl had been supported and sustained by his wife. It was apparent he was not able to care for himself. Over the course of four months he had increasing nightly confusion, memory loss, and paranoia, requiring 5 hospital admissions for intestinal bleeding and confusion. Eventually, he had to be removed from his sons home due to uncontrollable behavior. During his airline flight to New Orleans for HBOT treatment he deteriorated at altitude, resulting in an air marshall incident and emergency hospital admission on landing in Houston. An extensive evaluation failed to identify other causes of Mr. Earls normal aging. Following brief testing which showed a Folstein Mini-Mental Status score of 15 Mr. Earl underwent SPECT brain imaging before and after a single HBOT.

Further Research

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Of Dementia And Mild Cognitive Impairment

Some of the most important skills each person uses every day are cognitive skills. These core skills are needed for reading, writing, remembering, paying attention, and reasoning. Cognitive skills are imperative for everyday function and processing, especially of new information. Aging does bring a decline in some cognitive skills, but when a persons cognitive decline accelerates faster than normal aging it is considered Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI. Further decline eventually reaches the level of global cognitive impairment and the diagnosis of dementia. This decline has multiple individual causes or can result from the accumulation of a variety of lifelong insults to the brain such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, traumatic brain injury, toxins, chemicals, strokes, blood vessel disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been proven to help treat symptoms and even reverse the decline for many patients.

Mmse Moca And Adl Scores In Different Stages Medications And Sexes In Ad Patients After Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

2. Healing Dementia with Hyperbarics

The difference of MMSE, MoCA, and ADL scores in disease stages, medications, and sexes AD patients was further analyzed. As shown in Table S2 in supporting information, the MMSE score was increased significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in mild AD patients, the MoCA score was improved significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in mild and moderate AD patients, and the ADL score was increased significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in moderate AD patients. The difference of MMSE, MoCA, and ADL scores in AD patients with medications is shown in Table S3 in supporting information. The MMSE score was increased significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in AD patients maintained with ChEIs. And the MoCA score was improved significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in AD patients with combined medications . The ADL score was improved significantly at 1 and 3month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in AD patients with ChEIs. The difference of MMSE, MoCA, and ADL scores in AD patients male and female is shown in Table S4 in supporting information. The MMSE and MoCA scores were improved significantly at 1month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in both sexes. And the ADL score was increased significantly at 1 and 3month followup after hyperbaric oxygen treatment in female AD patients.

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Hbot Alleviates The Reduction In Vessel Diameter And Increases Blood Flow And Arteriolar Lumen Size In 5xfad Mice

Abnormalities in microvessels found near A plaque-deposited areas in 5XFAD mice contribute to reduced CBF . To gain insight into the effects of HBOT on CBF, we used in vivo two-photon microscopy to address the cortical vasculature of the same mouse before and after a month of exposure to HBOT or control conditions . Such analysis revealed that in control 5XFAD mice, there was significant reduction in vessel diameters over the course of the month . In contrast, no significant reduction in blood vessel diameters was observed in HBO-treated 5XFAD mice . The fold change in vessel diameters showed a downward trend in the control group, as compared to the HBO-treated group .

To measure blood flow velocity in specific blood vessels, the vascular serum was labeled with a fluorescent dye conjugated to high molecular weight dextran to prevent dye leakage from the vasculature. The velocities of non-fluorescent red blood cells were then tracked on this fluorescent background by tracing RBC movement over distance and time . RBC velocity was elevated following one month of HBOT, as compared to control normobaric conditions, yet not significantly . However, RBC flow, which provides a complete description of blood flow in each vessel, showed significant improvement following HBOT . These results directly show that HBOT alleviated reductions in blood vessel diameter, and, therefore, contributed to increased blood flow in 5XFAD mice.

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