Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease

A study published in Medical Gas Research details the first positron emission tomography (PET) scan-documented case of improvement in brain metabolism in Alzheimer's in a person treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), reports ScienceDaily . The individual was a 58-year-old woman who had experienced five years of cognitive decline, which began accelerating rapidly. Single photon emission computed tomography suggested Alzheimer's, which was verified via 18Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) PET brain imaging. The subject was administered 40 HBOT treatments, and by the 21st session was noting increased energy and activity levels, better mood, and ability to perform daily living activities and work crossword puzzles. After 40 sessions, she reported greater memory and concentration, sleep, conversation, appetite, ability to use the computer, more good days than bad days, resolved anxiety, and less disorientation and frustration. Tremor, deep knee bend, tandem gain, and motor speed also showed improvement. Repeated 18FDG PET imaging over one month after HBOT demonstrated a global 6.5 percent to 38 percent improvement in brain metabolism.