Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: A New and Innovative Way to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease.
The prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, are on the rise in the United States. Nearly 60-80% of all cases of dementia in the elderly population originated from Alzheimer’s Disease. Unfortunately, there is no current cure or effective treatment that slows the progression of this complex and devastating disease. Therefore, alternative treatments that specifically target the function of the brain is important. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been shown to not only improve neurological functions and quality of life, but recent studies have found that HBOT can ameliorate Alzheimer’s Disease-related pathologies.
What Happens in the HBOT Chamber?
During a hyperbaric session, the increased pressure allows for a large concentration of oxygen to dissolve and saturate the blood plasma independently of hemoglobin in red blood cells. This results in a broad variety of beneficial physiological, biochemical, and cellular effects, not achievable with any other therapy. HBOT has been found to improve gross and fine motor skills, single or multi cognitive tasks, and overall life quality in subjects who have experienced the hyperbaric chambers compared to those who have not.
At the cellular level, HBOT can improve mitochondrial redox, preserve mitochondrial integrity, hinder mitochondrion-associated apoptotic pathways, alleviate oxidative stress and increase levels of neurotrophins and nitric oxide through enhancement of mitochondrial function in both neurons and glial cells (Huang and Obenaus, 2011).
The Connection to Alzheimer’s and a Lack of Oxygen
Alzheimer’s Disease has no direct cause. However, abnormal protein plaques called beta-amyloid and tau proteins form and accumulate in the brain, which ultimately lead to loss of synapses and degeneration of neurons. Hypoxia, which is the lack of oxygen in the tissues, has a major role in the Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis. Epidemiological research studies suggest that there is an association between hypoxia and dementia, showing increased incidence of dementia in ischemic stroke patients. Considering this evidence, the use of HBOT can potentially be a compelling and practical treatment protocol for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Higher oxygen levels can advance cognitive function, enhance speech and language, improve balance and walking, promote neurogenesis, stimulate neuroplasticity, and reduce the effects of hypoxia and brain inflammation.
A Research Example: Hyperbarics and Alzheimer’s
In a 2018 study, old triple-transgenic and non-transgenic mice were exposed to HBOT. For reference, transgenic mouse models have similar plaques and cognitive impairments to humans with dementia. Following the HBOT exposure, there were behavioral, histological, and biochemical analyses of the mice. The study found that HBOT reduce hypoxia and the tau proteins found in the triple-transgenic mice. Interestingly, HBOT reduced microgliosis, astrogliosis, and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and increased the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, HBOT induced a morphological change in microglia near plaques to a more ramified state. These results suggest that HBOT attenuates neuroinflammation and represses inflammatory mediators. This study is consistent with previous studies that investigate the adequacy of HBOT on other neurological conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, and brain ischemia (Shapira, Elfrati, Ashery, 2018)
Considering the prevalence and devastation of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, modern medicine should recognize the promising benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The Stram Center utilizes a whole-body approach to your health, affecting all disease states that come with aging. We utilize nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction as well as hyperbaric oxygen therapy to impact the aging process so that lifespan is more about health span- the number of quality years of life versus the number of years alone.
Resources:
Huang L, Obenaus A. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury. Med Gas Res. 2011; 1:21.
Shapira R, Elfrati S, & Ashery, U. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a new treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease. Neural Regen. Res. 2018; 13:5.
Shapira R, Elfrati S, & Ashery, U. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy ameliorates pathophysiology of 3xTg-AD mouse model by attenuating neuroinflammation. Neurobiology of Aging. 2018: 62.
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