title: Neuroprotection of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in sub-acute traumatic brain injury: not by immediately improving cerebral oxygen saturation and oxygen partial pressure.
abstract: Although hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can promote the recovery of neural function in patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI), the underlying mechanism is unclear. We hypothesized that hyperbaric oxygen treatment plays a neuroprotective role in TBI by increasing regional transcranial oxygen saturation (rSO2) and oxygen partial pressure (PaO2). To test this idea, we compared two groups: a control group with 20 healthy people and a treatment group with 40 TBI patients. The 40 patients were given 100% oxygen of HBO for 90 minutes. Changes in rSO2were measured. The controls were also examined for rSO2and PaO2, but received no treatment. rSO2levels in the patients did not differ significantly after treatment, but levels before and after treatment were significantly lower than those in the control group. PaO2levels were significantly decreased after the 30-minute HBO treatment. Our findings suggest that there is a disorder of oxygen metabolism in patients with sub-acute TBI. HBO does not immediately affect cerebral oxygen metabolism, and the underlying mechanism still needs to be studied in depth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Unit, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Bao-Chun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Unit, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6031-101X
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, High-tech District Branch of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: blood gas analysis; cerebral oxygen saturation; hyperbaric oxygen; near-infrared spectroscopy; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neurological function; oxygen metabolism; oxygen partial pressure; traumatic brain injury; wound healing