Hyper Baric Oxygen Therapy by Alicia Harper

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1 Hyper Baric Oxygen Therapy by Alicia Harper HBOT ~Hyper~Baric~Oxygen~Therapy/Treatment is the medical use of oxygen at a higher level than atmospheric pressure and is yet another treatment option for symptoms associated with hydranencephaly. I'm told and I truly believe, but have yet to find someone who shares that belief, that it will make a difference in quality of life for children with hydranencephaly. Through awareness of this alternative treatment through our foundation, I hope to be in contact with someone who I haven't been before in regards to this, or other similar treatment options. Here's a definition of HBOT from a contact, Dr. Cranton ( whom I have previously been in touch with: "Hyper" means increased and "baric" relates to pressure. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) thus refers to intermittent treatment of the entire body with 100-percent oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressures. The earth's atmosphere normally exerts approximately 15 pounds per square inch of pressure at sea level. That pressure is defined as one atmosphere absolute (abbreviated as 1 ATA). In the ambient atmosphere we normally breathe approximately 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent nitrogen. While undergoing HBOT, pressure is increased up to two times (2 ATA) in 100% oxygen. In the Sechrist monoplace chambers utilized at our facilities, the entire body is totally immersed in 100-percent oxygen. There is no need to wear a mask or hood. This increased pressure, combined with an increase in oxygen to 100 percent, dissolves oxygen in the blood plasma and in all body cells, tissues and fluids at up to 10 times normal concentration high enough to sustain life with no blood at all (from 20% to 100% oxygen is a 5-fold increase, from 1 ATA to 2 ATA can double this again to a 10-fold or 1,000% increase). While some of the mechanisms of action of HBOT, as they apply to healing and reversal of symptoms, are yet to be discovered, it is known that HBOT: 1) greatly increases oxygen concentration in all body tissues, even with reduced or blocked blood flow 2) stimulates the growth of new blood vessels to locations with reduced circulation, improving blood flow to areas with arterial blockage 3) causes a rebound arterial dilation after HBOT, resulting in an increased blood vessel diameter greater than when therapy began, improving blood flow to compromised organs

2 4) stimulates an adaptive increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the body's principal, internally produced antioxidants and free radical scavengers 5) aids the treatment of infection by enhancing white blood cell action and potentiatinggerm-killing antibiotics. While not new, HBOT has only lately begun to gain recognition for treatment of chronic degenerative health problems related to atherosclerosis, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, diabetic ulcers, wound healing, cerebral palsy, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, macular degeneration, and many other disorders. Wherever blood flow and oxygen delivery to vital organs is reduced, function and healing can potentially be aided with HBOT. When the brain is injured by stroke, CP, or trauma, HBO may wake up stunned parts of the brain to restore function. One of the world's most experienced authorities on hyperbaric medicine was Dr. Edgar End, clinical professor of environmental medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who voiced his opinion on HBOT's value for the treatment of stroke in this way: "I've seen partially paralyzed people half carried into the (HBOT) chamber, and they walk out after the first treatment. If we got to these people quickly, we could prevent a great deal of damage. In the United States, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) has made approval for reimbursement possible for diagnoses in hospitals, with an average treatment charge of $1800/90 minutes. In China and Russia, the list of implications contains 80 and more implications for insurance-covered treatment. In the US, the list includes: ~air or gas embolism ~carbon monoxide with, or without cyanide poisoning ~gangrene ~crush injuries, compartment syndromes, or other acute traumatic ischemias ~decompression sickness ~healing enhancement in problem wounds, such as those in diabetes ~anemia ~intracranial abscess ~soft tissue necrotizing ~delayed radiation injuries, soft tissue & bone necrosis ~compromised skin grafts ~thermal burns And more recently, Medicare now reimburses treatment for 14 (and growing) UHMS approved conditions: ~Lyme disease ~stroke ~migraine ~autism ~cerebral palsy ~epidural abscesses ~hearing/vision loss ~multiple sclerosis (MS) ~psoriasis ~inflammatory bowel conditions (IBC)...with many more implications prescribed by doctors who think "outside of the box," yet HBOT is deemed another controversial "alternative" treatment.

3 Another miracle cure for so many ailments, found to be so controversial, displaying another case of lack of knowledge So, how are hyperbaric oxygen therapies distributed? ~The traditional type, a hard-shelled pressure vessel, which is most generally utilized by hospitals, the Navy, and other diving organizations. The steel or aluminum vessels range in size from portable, one-person chambers to those that can treat eight or more patients at a time. ~Oxygen Breathing, in larger "multiplace" chambers where the patients and medical staff breathe from oxygen helmets. Aside from periodic breaks to prevent oxygen toxicity, patients breathe 100% oxygen which maximizes treatment. ~"Monoplace" chambers are for one patient, not including any medical staff, where the space is filled with 100% oxygen and provides normal air masks to take breaks and prevent hyperoxic seizures. The vasalva manuever, or jaw wiggling, prevents the inner ear discomfort associated with the use of these chambers. ~home treatment chambers are portable and possess a lower pressure in a soft-sided chamber, approved only for altitude sickness but prescribed for other off-label purposes... such as autism. And now some more information on how hyperbarics may specifically help some problems surrounding a hydranencephaly diagnosis & other similar conditions...such as those oftentimes associated with cerebral palsy. Here is an article found ( giving detailed example of a clinical trial involving children with severe brain injuries...and the hope that HBOT has provided these children with recovery. HBOT is proven in controlled study to benefit CP and similar brain injuries in children Damian McNamara, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Children Who Have Chronic Brain Injury. Family Practice News, Volume 36, Issue 19, Page 49 (01 October 2006) FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves cognitive and social function in children with chronic brain injury, according to a study presented at a symposium on hyperbaric oxygen therapy.daily living, socialization, communication, and motor skills significantly improved for 21 children treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), compared with 21 brain-injured patients who received standard therapy. Researchers included

4 a third group of 21 healthy children to control for normal growth and development, reported Dr. Charles J. Golden at the symposium sponsored by the Ocean Hyperbaric Neurologic Center. Participants were assessed more than 1 year after onset of their brain injury. The majority had cerebral palsy. The average age was 4.5 years (range, 12 months to 18 years), said Dr. Golden, professor of psychology and director, Neuropsychology Assessment Center, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Average functioning level was close to two standard deviations below average so this was a very low functioning group, he added. Mild changes in some areas but no changes in the cerebellum were noted after 35 HBOT sessions, compared with baseline, Dr. Golden said. This is not unexpected. These children had injuries high up in the brain. Interestingly, you can predict reasonably well who will be a responder based on response over the first 35 treatments, he said. Some people are just nonresponders you can give them 200 treatments, and they will not respond. Others are marvelous responders who respond well and right away. After a second round of 35 HBOT treatments, there was a much greater effect on blood flow so it seems to be a time-based effect, Dr. Golden said. The HBOT group made major changes in all areas that were greater than either the normal or standard therapy control groups. This is a group who is at the end they have failed multiple therapies. And still we have about 70% who respond [to HBOT], said Dr. Golden. The plasticity of the brain may be much greater than we imagined. HBOT may stimulate ability of the brain to reorganize itself. Dr. Golden and his associates used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales to rate basic adaptive, motor, and cognitive abilities This can be used without a child having to perform for us, which is challenging with cerebral palsy, he said. They assessed blood flow changes with a series of three single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans before, during, and after HBOT treatment. They assessed the cerebellum, pons, right and left hemisphere subcortical areas, and the cortical region. "Improvements in motor functions [from HBOT] allowed them to do things they could not do at the beginning of the study."

5 While doing my usual research, I was given the web address of a foundation that supplies free HBOT to children in dire need. It is true that there is a charity organization that supplies everything you could possibly imagine when there is a need for it, it is just a matter of finding those people... Another reminder of the wonderful generosity of a majority of the population. From the website, and the mission of Hyperbaric Center for Children (, here's where it all started for the Selama Grotto Cerebral Palsy Foundation (a non-profit organization): "Our mission is to initiate, sponsor, support and promote activities and projects for the care, treatment and education of children afflicted with Cerebral Palsy and other special needs without regard to faith, creed, race, national origin or ethnic background.this website is a clearing house for information about our efforts to create a center to treat and care for children suffering from many ailments that can benefit from the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT). We have many testimonials and scientific evidence that shows children with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Shaken Baby Syndrome and other special needs can benefit from these treatments." You can visit the Web site to read more about this foundation's efforts. As I mentioned before, I've been in contact with a few different HBOT centers, only to be told that they've "heard" that treatments can help children with hydranencephaly, but they don't know of any formal cases to assure that it would be worth the time invested... and in normal cases, the money. I've been in contact with the above mentioned not for profit organization, Selama Grotto Cerebral Palsy Endowment, for more information. Hopefully, the idea of neuroplasticity will be of a greater hope in the future with the aid of HBOT.