The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the nervous system. Systematic review

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is found among the interests of researchers who seek new methods of treatment of diseases of the nervous system. An increase of the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood within the appropriate range leads to numerous changes in the cells of the brain tissue. In this paper we analyse the results of selected articles describing HBOT used on pathologies of the nervous system such as stroke, autism, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy as well as in the course of research on animal models. The results are promising, although some studies struggled with numerous methodological problems and differences in the applied protocols, which resulted in conflicting results in individual interventions. In consequence, the need for further studies in randomised control trials and determination of the protocol by an international group of researchers dedicated to the use of HBOT was emphasised.