Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report
Ataxias, a group of disorders characterized by impaired coordination, often lack effective treatments. Recent evidence suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may promote neuroplasticity and improve brain function. However, its impact on the core symptom of ataxia remains largely unknown. We prese...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | SAGE Open Medical Case Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X251337996 |
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| author | Vicktoria Elkarif Amir Hadanny Ruth Tuck Harpaz Efrat Sasson Shai Efrati |
| author_facet | Vicktoria Elkarif Amir Hadanny Ruth Tuck Harpaz Efrat Sasson Shai Efrati |
| author_sort | Vicktoria Elkarif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ataxias, a group of disorders characterized by impaired coordination, often lack effective treatments. Recent evidence suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may promote neuroplasticity and improve brain function. However, its impact on the core symptom of ataxia remains largely unknown. We present two cases of patients with chronic ataxia of different etiologies who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our findings provide preliminary insights into the potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for individuals with chronic ataxia. Two patients, aged 73 and 57, were presented with ataxia characterized by impaired static and dynamic balance, uncoordinated gait, and reliance on walking aids following stroke and brain injury, respectively. Pre and post-treatment evaluation included neuroimaging, gait analysis, and physical/functional assessment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment was administered for 5 days/week, consisting of 100% oxygen at two atmospheres of absolute pressure. Concurrently, twice-weekly physical therapy sessions were integrated into the treatment regimen. Post-treatment evaluation revealed significant improvements in gait, coordination, and balance, which correlated with perfusion changes in peri-lesional cerebellar tissue as measured by perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. This study presents a pioneering case series exploring the therapeutic potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Our findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may enhance brain perfusion within the peri-lesional region, which correlates with neurophysical improvements. Given the novel nature of these findings, further randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and control groups are essential to validate and generalize these findings, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s effects on various brain injuries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b0130d2adc6444d88ae164d3c679ab8f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2050-313X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open Medical Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-b0130d2adc6444d88ae164d3c679ab8f2025-08-20T01:55:06ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medical Case Reports2050-313X2025-05-011310.1177/2050313X251337996Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case reportVicktoria Elkarif0Amir Hadanny1Ruth Tuck Harpaz2Efrat Sasson3Shai Efrati4Physical Therapy Department, Shamir Medical Center, Zerifin, IsraelTel Aviv School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, IsraelPhysical Therapy Department, Shamir Medical Center, Zerifin, IsraelSagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Shamir Medical Center Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, IsraelTel Aviv School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, IsraelAtaxias, a group of disorders characterized by impaired coordination, often lack effective treatments. Recent evidence suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may promote neuroplasticity and improve brain function. However, its impact on the core symptom of ataxia remains largely unknown. We present two cases of patients with chronic ataxia of different etiologies who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our findings provide preliminary insights into the potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for individuals with chronic ataxia. Two patients, aged 73 and 57, were presented with ataxia characterized by impaired static and dynamic balance, uncoordinated gait, and reliance on walking aids following stroke and brain injury, respectively. Pre and post-treatment evaluation included neuroimaging, gait analysis, and physical/functional assessment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment was administered for 5 days/week, consisting of 100% oxygen at two atmospheres of absolute pressure. Concurrently, twice-weekly physical therapy sessions were integrated into the treatment regimen. Post-treatment evaluation revealed significant improvements in gait, coordination, and balance, which correlated with perfusion changes in peri-lesional cerebellar tissue as measured by perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. This study presents a pioneering case series exploring the therapeutic potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Our findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may enhance brain perfusion within the peri-lesional region, which correlates with neurophysical improvements. Given the novel nature of these findings, further randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and control groups are essential to validate and generalize these findings, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s effects on various brain injuries.https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X251337996 |
| spellingShingle | Vicktoria Elkarif Amir Hadanny Ruth Tuck Harpaz Efrat Sasson Shai Efrati Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report SAGE Open Medical Case Reports |
| title | Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report |
| title_full | Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report |
| title_fullStr | Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report |
| title_short | Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia: A case report |
| title_sort | effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ataxia a case report |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X251337996 |
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