Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves symptoms and QOL in kids with persistent post-concussion syndrome

A new study conducted by Amir Hadanny and team shows that even years after injury, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) improves quality of life, symptoms, cognitive performance, and behavioral function in young persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) patients.

The findings of this study were published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) is a common and serious morbidity in children, and there is currently no research supporting effective PPCS therapies. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been demonstrated to be effective for adult PPCS patients in recent research. This investigation was carried out to assess the effects of HBOT on a juvenile population suffering from PPCS after TBI, with persistent symptoms for at least six months following injury.

The effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on children (ages 8 to 15) with PPCS from mild-moderate TBI incidents six months to ten years earlier was examined in this randomized, sham-control, double-blind experiment.

The key findings of this study were:

1. Twenty-five youngsters were randomly assigned to either HBOT (n = 15) or sham (n = 10) treatments for 60 daily sessions.

2. Following HBOT, there was a significant improvement in cognitive function, including the general cognitive score (d = 0.598, p = 0.01), memory (d = 0.480, p = 0.02), executive function (d = 0.739, p = 0.003), PPCS symptoms including emotional score (p = 0.04, d = - 0.676), behavioral symptoms including hyperactivity (d = 0.244, p = 0.03), global executive composite score (d = 0.5).

3. Significant improvements in brain MRI microstructural alterations in the insula, lingual, supramarginal, inferior frontal, and fusiform gyri corresponded with clinical results.

In conclusion, according to the study, HBOT helps children with PPCS perform better cognitively and behaviorally, as well as their PPCS and quality of life, even years after the initial damage. To improve the process and identify the kids who would benefit most from it, more information is required.

Reference:

Hadanny, A., Catalogna, M., Yaniv, S., Stolar, O., Rothstein, L., Shabi, A., Suzin, G., Sasson, E., Lang, E., Finci, S., Harpaz, R. T., Bechor, Y., & Efrati, S. (2022). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children with post-concussion syndrome improves cognitive and behavioral function: a randomized controlled trial. In Scientific Reports (Vol. 12, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19395-y