title: Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on eye tracking abnormalities in males after mild traumatic brain injury.
abstract: The effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) on eye movement abnormalities in 60 military servicemembers with at least one mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) from combat were examined in a single-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, prospective study at the Naval Medicine Operational Training Center. During the 10 wk of the study, each subject was delivered a series of 40, once a day, hyperbaric chamber compressions at a pressure of 2.0 atmospheres absolute (ATA). At each session, subjects breathed one of three preassigned oxygen fractions (10.5%, 75%, or 100%) for 1 h, resulting in an oxygen exposure equivalent to breathing either surface air, 100% oxygen at 1.5 ATA, or 100% oxygen at 2.0 ATA, respectively. Using a standardized, validated, computerized eye tracking protocol, fixation, saccades, and smooth pursuit eye movements were measured just prior to intervention and immediately postintervention. Between and within groups testing of pre- and postintervention means revealed no significant differences on eye movement abnormalities and no significant main effect for HBO2 at either 1.5 ATA or 2.0 ATA equivalent compared with the sham-control. This study demonstrated that neither 1.5 nor 2.0 ATA equivalent HBO2 had an effect on postconcussive eye movement abnormalities after mild TBI when compared with a sham-control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA;
authors.forename: David X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Cifu
authors.forename: Kathy W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Hoke
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: Joanna R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wares
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gitchel
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Carne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine; D015835:Ocular Motility Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth; D012438:Saccades; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: blast injury; blinded; concussion; eye tracking; hyperbaric oxygen; postconcussive syndrome; randomized; saccades; sham controlled; traumatic brain injury