title: Hyperbaric oxygen can induce neuroplasticity and improve cognitive functions of patients suffering from anoxic brain damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive impairment may occur in 42-50% of cardiac arrest survivors. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) has recently been shown to have neurotherapeutic effects in patients suffering from chronic cognitive impairments (CCI) consequent to stroke and mild traumatic brain injury.The objective of this study was to assess the neurotherapeutic effect of HBO2 in patients suffering from CCI due to cardiac arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of patients with CCI caused by cardiac arrest, treated with 60 daily sessions of HBO2. Evaluation included objective computerized cognitive tests (NeuroTrax), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and Quality of life questionnaires. The results of these tests were compared with changes in brain activity as assessed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 11 cases of CCI patients. Patients were treated with HBO2, 0.5-7.5 years (mean 2.6 ± 0.6 years) after the cardiac arrest. HBO2 was found to induce modest, but statistically significant improvement in memory, attention and executive function (mean scores) of 12% , 20% and 24% respectively. The clinical improvements were found to be well correlated with increased brain activity in relevant brain areas as assessed by computerized analysis of the SPECT imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although further research is needed, the results demonstrate the beneficial effects of HBO2 on CCI in patients after cardiac arrest, even months to years after the acute event.
authors.affiliation: Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadanny
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.|Nuclear Imaging Division, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Golan
authors.affiliation: Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fishlev
authors.affiliation: Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bechor
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.|Nuclear Imaging Division, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.affiliation: Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suzin
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.|School of Physics and Astronomy, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben-Jacob
authors.affiliation: Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.|Research and Development Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Efrati
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Anoxic brain damage; SPECT; cognitive symptoms; hyperbaric oxygen therapy; rehabilitation